A/N: Hey guys... after another 235048159 years of not updating this, I'm finally back =)! With another super long chapter! More than 7,000 words! Omg I think I never wrote a chapter containing more dialogues than this one xD. But hopefully I also managed to include some more ACTION. Not tons of action... but... say, an important next step or something. We're getting somewhere. I mean, things WILL definitely get somewhere anyway... I've got it all planned out in my head already :)... it's just taking a while to make it happen.

Either way... long chapter is long... so take your time and ENJOY! =D

Oh but maybe I should add a brief s*ic*de trigger warning for the end of the last long text paragraph of this chappy. Just like three sentences in total I guess... but yeah. Just for your information and to be on the safe side.

-23-

PIECES OF THE PUZZLE

He woke up with a start, drenched in sweat, his heart racing. The wave of agony caused by the way too sudden movement forced him to sink back into the sheets immediately, clenching his teeth to stifle a cry of pain, wrapping his arms around his injured rib cage.

Captain Hakoda still hated the nights. His days had turned into a constant busy game of hide and seek – doing his given jobs and performing his tasks as obediently and inconspicuously as possible on the surface while secretly being alert non-stop, collecting all sorts of information himself and exchanging them with his men in their daily "reports session". Slowly they found more and more puzzle pieces – and it was Hakoda's job to somehow put them together to an overall picture that would be called "escape plan" in the end. During the days, when he met his men in the courtyard, seeing the sparks of newfound excitement in their eyes, he was full of confidence - knowing that one day the plan would be complete, that they'd be getting there eventually.

His nights, however… they were a different story. A story of spiraling thoughts and dead ends, of being stuck in open questions, of not getting any closer to an answer. There seemed to be no way out - either out of this prison or out of his mental chaos. When sleep would eventually envelop him, would finally silence his futile trains of thought, most of the time it would hold nothing but nightmares, though. Not to mention his injury. During the days he was well aware of the moves he'd rather avoid - since none of the guards seemed to notice his broken ribs, let alone did anything to take care of his injured torso. Therefore, moving as careful as possible was all he could do to spare himself. When he tossed and turned in his sleep, however, his body would just move on its own accord and he had no control over it. So if it wasn't the actual nightmare that would put an abrupt end to his sleep, it would sure enough be a sudden jolt of pain.

All in all, there were just too many reasons for him to hate the nights.

Although his eyes were open now, frantically clinging to the flickering hints of torch light poorly illuminating the corridor, the horror and the pictures of his nightmare clung to his mind even more frantically. He knew he'd dreamt of their escape going wrong, of everyone trusting him with their lives and in return being killed by the guards… but he refused to remember any details. There was no point in succumbing to the lingering feeling of failure and despair even further.

Instead he carefully got up from his cot and knelt down at its foot, lifting one of the metal legs enough so his fingers could reach into it, pulling out what he'd hidden there: a pen and a scroll with notes, remarks, sketches and other scribbles. It was the current state of the puzzle - and thus of incalculable value. The scroll contained all gained background information; all escape ideas he and his men had come up with so far, everything that could possibly become important to implement the plan. The scroll held his sanity in a way. It helped him remember that the puzzle was constantly growing and that it would lead them to their escape. To freedom. He'd make it work. So that his nightmares would never become reality.

Reading the last notes he'd added to the list made him relax and tense up all at once. Tomorrow would be an important day, or more like the beginning of an important period. Starting from the next morning, his new job would be "cleaning duties." And he would make sure he'd become the most capable, best-qualified person for the job the guards had ever seen. So they'd decide to keep him in that position for as long as possible.
Because in other words that job meant the guards would - unintentionally - show him around in the whole prison. Simply because cleaning duties were required everywhere, and thus weren't limited to a certain area of the prison. So he'd get to see each floor, each section, and each facility of this place. And he'd make sure to take in everything, each and every detail that could be relevant for the escape plan. He'd pay close attention to the main and minor corridors, the staircases - simply every path leading in every direction. So his "mental floor plan" would finally get completed.
And apart from that - in the end, he'd find her. If cleaning duties really included the entire prison, sooner or later they'd make him clean up Sureen's cell, too. He'd find out about her whereabouts, and he'd include her in the escape plan.

The thought somewhat calmed his nerves. As he felt the gentle waves of reassurance flowing through his troubled mind, slowly replacing his worries with confidence, Hakoda released a deep breath.

He had to find her. She was the only member of their group that was still missing. And he would find her. From now on, it was only a matter of time. But it was a certainty. And one day soon, they'd escape. All of them - including Sureen.

x-x-x

With the passage of time, they'd both learned to detest the sound of approaching steps and the metallic grinding when their cell door was unlocked. Yet it caused the two of them to react in the most diverse ways. While it made one of them quiver with rage, and unable to conceal the hatred flaring up again inside her, it made the other tremble with a wave of fear washing over him so suddenly he couldn't even hide behind his walls of indifference.

As the door slowly opened, Sureen jumped up from her cot, determined to bar the guards' way. Zuko's latest injuries weren't even halfway healed yet; he was far from ready to take another beating. So she'd do whatever would be necessary to try and keep the guards from taking him with them. Frantically exploring her options, she suddenly noticed that something was off. Something was... strangely different and strangely familiar all at once. But how could anything ever be familiar in here... unless... unless -

Her ears buzzing in the rhythm of her racing heart, Sureen could hardly understand the guards muttering something about "...fifteen minutes!", "Get going!", and "No conversations with the prisoners, we'll keep an eye on you," while, apparently, the person they were talking to was granted access to their cell. And the guards locked the door behind him and turned their backs to him.
The man was equipped with what seemed like... a long stick and further weird weapons? Wait, no... it was a cleaning mop and a bucket. But, in fact, the crucial point was neither the purpose of his appearance nor what exactly he was carrying. The thing that made Sureen's heart skip a beat was -

"C-Captain Hakoda...?" The words escaped Sureen's mouth in breathless disbelief, and even before she was aware she was actually whispering them.

x-x-x

Hakoda was never told which part of the prison he was supposed to clean up next. Naturally, the guards only disclosed as much information as they considered absolutely necessary. They wouldn't tell him in advance where they were taking him, how long he'd stay there, or what in detail "cleaning up" would include when he was being brought to another place. Sometimes he was sure they never even took the direct way to his next workplace - only to deliberately confuse him and to make sure he'd lose his sense of direction. Too bad for them, however, the latter never was the case.

So the day the guards took him along an endless number of corridors, up and down staircases, passing several security gates, he soon noticed that they were on their way to an entirely different section of the prison - something like its best hidden secret wing. The realization made him tense up immediately. Still he tried not to keep his hopes up and to behave as calmly and compliantly as ever. Because - Why would they hide her away like that? It wouldn't make sense, would it? They'd rather safe this place for prisoners they'd REALLY want to isolate from each and every other human being... for exceptionally dangerous criminals or whoever the Fire Nation considers 'worthy' of solitary confinement, right? Right. No need to capture Sureen in here. Yet an irrepressible nervous tension was persistently creeping over him. Eventually approaching the cell that seemed to be the workplace destined for him, Hakoda found himself entirely unable to shake off the nagging nervousness.

But the sensation was drowned out all at once the moment he heard... his name.

A low voice, almost inaudibly whispering his name. And not only that, but also his title, his former title... and the words held so much hope and fear that the voice almost didn't dare speak them, and although they were hardly loud enough to even reach his ears, they resounded in his head like an echo.

He gulped, trying to swallow all the emotions that threatened to swamp him, and fought to keep a cool head. Because, in the first place, more than anything, this encounter - this overwhelming sensation that would all too easily beguile the both of them into doing something thoughtless, ill-considered - this was dangerous. So the former fleet captain held his breath and glued his gaze to the ground, his entire consciousness virtually freezing. Until, finally, the guards had locked the door behind him and turned their backs towards him. Swiftly and without a sound, he approached Sureen's cot, leaned the mop against the wall nearby and put down the bucket behind the cot's head. Only a second later he stood right in front of Sureen, grabbing her wrist to make her follow him to the farthest corner of the cell - where the torchlight from the corridor wouldn't reach them.

Only then did he dare breathe again and lift his gaze to meet the girl's eyes. And only then did he allow himself to fully realize what was just happening.

"Sureen... I - I knew you'd be alright. Or at least that's what I wanted to believe. And I knew I'd find you eventually."

"And I knew you'd come here eventually," his former subordinate answered under her breath.
Struggling to swallow the lump that suddenly tightened this throat, Hakoda reached out for the younger woman's shoulders and squeezed them firmly, unable to keep his hands from shaking.

Faced not only with her own overflowing relief and joy of reunion, but also with the impact of the other's feelings that were hardly any less intense, Sureen couldn't help but downright jump towards him, wholeheartedly wrapping her arms around his chest in a tight embrace. However, the sudden assault against his broken ribs made Hakoda wince in pain, desperately clenching his teeth to bite back even the faintest groan forming in his throat – for it would certainly attract the guards' attention and thus reveal what was just going on. Unintentionally digging his nails into Sureen's shoulders as the pain demanded another way out, he made the girl wince, as well. But once her thoughts kicked in again due to the harsh wake up call, she let go of the man just as quickly as she'd pulled him into her embrace.

Whoa, ow, his INJURY dammit, how could I forget about that, I can't just -… and holy shit, he's my superior officer, just for the record! What am I doing?! Geez, and not to mention the guards out there... I don't know if THEY know that we know each other... but if they DIDN'T know yet, they WILL know the second they see this! Fuck! She mentally scolded herself while hurriedly taking a step back. "I - uh, sorry. I d-didn't mean to… I - I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry," she whispered apologetically. "But... I'm just so very glad you found your way here... Sir."

"Will you please drop the 'Sir'? And yes, please try and act a little more… unobtrusively from now on," Hakoda ground out, still visibly out of breath and struggling to regain his composure. But in spite of recovering only slowly from the waves of pain that took their time to level off, and in spite of worriedly keeping an eye on the guards, his features lit up after a short while. Eventually, a low sigh escaped him and a gentle smile flashed over his face. It felt... weird and unfamiliar, he thought - realizing that he couldn't even remember the last time he'd smiled. "But I'm glad to see you again, too," he added almost inaudibly.

"Hey! Didn't I make myself clear? I said NO CONVERSATIONS with the prisoners!" The harsh voice from outside the cell made them freeze immediately. Staring at each other with wide, nervously flickering eyes, both of them frantically tried to figure out what to do next.

Hakoda was the first to awake from the shock: "This isn't a conversation, Sir! I just told her to - um..."

Sureen felt the panic creeping over him as he noticed too late that he had no idea how to continue. "... Go and get his stuff," she hurried to finish the other's sentence, quickly turning and rushing towards the mop and the bucket Hakoda had left next to her cot. As she vigorously grabbed for both items, she threw a glare at the puzzled guards, her eyes flaring in a way that made clear she wouldn't tolerate any disagreement.

x-x-x

As Hakoda mopped the ground, his eyes strictly trained on the part of the floor he was just cleaning, a torrent of thoughts and questions swamped his mind. They were on the very tip of his tongue, on the brink of escaping his lips. And he was sure Sureen was just the same. He felt her eyes on him, the way her gaze restlessly shifted between him and the guards while she motionlessly sat on her cot.
He needed to talk to her, to tell her that everyone else was doing fine, that they were working on an escape plan, and how everyone was gaining information on a daily basis... He just really wanted to tell her that everything would be alright, that they'd leave this place eventually. But he couldn't. He had to behave as unsuspiciously as possible now that he'd already attracted the guards' attention. They definitely wouldn't tolerate another rule violation from his side. So all he could do was mopping the damn floor as though it was the only thing he cared about.

Yet he couldn't help but think that something about this was off. There had to be a missing puzzle piece right in front of his face; he just couldn't pinpoint it. Why was Sureen imprisoned in this isolated high-security section? He didn't mean to underestimate his former subordinate... but there was nothing exceptionally dangerous about her, nothing that would justify solitary confinement. Wait - solitary confinement? 'No conversationS with the prisonerS' - the guard's words shot through his mind again. So... did that mean... Sureen wasn't alone in here?!

All of a sudden, Hakoda swirled around, only then realizing that, indeed, there was a second cot in the cell. And not only a cot... but another prisoner crouching in its corner, their knees pulled up, their back leaning against the wall. Not moving, not reacting in any way. The figure utterly reminded him of his own cell mate - the pitiful old man that was unable to communicate or make any connection to the world around him. Only this guy seemed younger, a lot younger really... the boy probably had to be about the same age as... his son. A pang of guilt and pain hit the fleet captain as the memory pushed to the fore, and he hurried to shake it off by mopping the floor even more forcefully. However, as unobtrusively as possible, he began to mop his way towards the guy's cot as he went.
Could it be possible that solitary confinement, in the first place, was meant for that boy? Which still wouldn't explain why Sureen was locked up with him, though. And for what reason would the picture of misery on the cot in front of him deserve complete isolation?

After he'd thoroughly mopped the ground right in front of the other cot, he knelt down, pretending to scrub a particularly dirty patch of the floor. In fact, however, his eyes scanned the figure crouching in the shadows of the dimly lit cell, trying to make out his features in the semi-darkness, or anything else that would give him a hint regarding the other prisoner's identity.

As Hakoda suddenly flinched away from the cot, his entire body tensing up as he hurriedly got back to his feet, his eyes as wide as saucers, Sureen already stood right behind him. Sensing all the opposing emotions rushing through his veins, clouding his mind and poisoning his heart in an instant, the girl snatched the mop from him with one hand and firmly grabbed his sleeve with the other, pulling the man with her back into the darkness of the cell's rear corner.

"Y-you know who this is, right?" Hakoda's voice was trembling although he spoke under his breath.

Sureen sighed. "Well... yeah. I do. I guess that's rather safe to say. In fact, it's you who doesn't know him."

"Me? What the... what's going on here? How can you-"

"Shush," Sureen hissed, warningly turning her head in the direction of the guards. "Obviously, this is not exactly the time for conversations... so... just listen, okay? Look... didn't you even wonder why he's here? Why he's an inmate of a Fire Nation prison? Isn't that maybe a tad weird?"

She had a hard time keeping her voice low, sensing Hakoda's underlying hostility towards someone who clearly did not deserve it.
"I'll tell you why. The Fire Lord himself sent him here... because Zuko had decided to switch sides. And after telling everything right to his father's face, he wanted to set out for the avatar in order to join him. But that never happened. Before Zuko could leave the palace, the Fire Lord sent him here - sent his own son here - ordering the prison guards to give him a life in hell behind these walls. And let me tell you they're truly d-doing a damn great job... c-carrying out those instructions. They don't miss a chance to properly torture him. I- I'm telling you. 'Cause my only purpose in this sick game is to m-make sure he's gonna survive, like, no matter what they do to him, I'll have to patch him up afterwards, so he won't die of his injuries and they... They can keep their toy and keep playing with him for the rest of his days. For the rest of his whole damn life, and all I can do about it is plain nothing, 'cause they don't even give me proper medicine or dressing material, all they ever do is fucking ignore me. And he's here just because he made the decision to side with the avatar. So don't you dare judge him. Stop acting that damn hostile towards someone that already received more hostility than anyone should ever be faced with in their whole lifetime."

Sureen didn't need to raise her voice to reveal the rage burning behind her words. The way she clenched her fist around Hakoda's sleeve, the flickering in her eyes, and her quivering shoulders were enough to tell the older man that she was dead serious and brimming with helpless hatred in the face of this - in her opinion - blatant injustice. Enough hatred to make her turn against him, to offend him with an attitude that wasn't like her at all.

But he was too taken aback to put her in her place. If what he'd just heard really was the truth, he couldn't deny she had a point. And he would have to rethink his view towards Prince Zuko. And he'd be more convinced than ever that fighting the Fire Lord was the right thing to do. Hakoda sucked in a deep breath, thinking of an answer to the younger woman's rant...

"Hey! Time's up! Get your stuff and come back to the door immediately! There are still 17 cells waiting for you to clean them up today. So get going and move your butt back here NOW," the guard's voice suddenly barked, causing Hakoda to abruptly snap out of his thoughts. Without thinking twice, he made a beeline for the cell door.

"With all due respect, Sir, but this place looks like it hadn't been cleaned up for years. Fifteen minutes aren't even close to sufficient for this job." There was no way he'd leave this place now. Not after everything he'd just learned.

"You think? Well, then how about paying less attention to the prisoners, and putting some more efforts into doing your actual job instead? Ten more minutes. Use them wisely. If you're getting my hint," the guard hissed tellingly.

Silently cursing himself and the guard, Hakoda gave a curt nod and continued with his work. If there was anything he didn't want to happen - apart from having to leave this cell - it was to raise suspicion... or make the guards report his behavior so he wouldn't be allowed to do this job anymore. Thus, once again, all he could do was focus on cleaning up the cell without allowing himself the slightest distraction.

But when he found himself approaching Zuko's cot again, he couldn't help but glance at the prince from the corner of his eye again and again. It was impossible to ignore the boy's physical injuries; and the fleet captain didn't even dare imagine his mental ones. That was when he noticed that he simply couldn't consider Zuko his enemy anymore. Because the coiled up figure before him - no matter which mistakes he'd ever made during his short life so far - didn't deserve any sort of hostility at all. Indeed. Sureen was right. Again, Hakoda crouched down in front of the cot to scrub the floor more thoroughly. He didn't dare either interrupt his work or look up as he addressed the prince in hushed whispers.

"You know, being Katara's and Sokka's father, I could have a lot of reasons to hold a grudge against you. I don't need to tell you about the many times you interfered with our lives, to say the least. But to be honest, I don't know what to think of you anymore. I've never seen Sureen defending anyone with such assertiveness. That much is certain. And I believe that humans have the ability to rethink and change their ways. Yet I can't tell what sort of person you are or what's going on in your mind. But, as a father, I know one thing for a fact: no father in the world is supposed to hate their son that much so they'd punish him like this. No father should ever be that cold-blooded and power-obsessed when it comes to their own child."

Wait, what- What is he DOING? What's going on, what is he telling him?! Dammit, he mustn't do that, he needs to stop, Zuko can't... It's too much, he can't take it! Please, Hakoda, whatever you're just doing, please- "Stop it," Sureen ground out, unaware that her reeling thoughts had turned into words. She couldn't understand the other's whispering, and she knew his words weren't destined for her ears anyway. But she also knew that Hakoda needed to stop, straightaway. Because his lecture caused nothing but a flood of opposing emotions, washing away Zuko's defensive shield as though it was made of paper, leaving the prince seething with an all-consuming feeling he couldn't name, let alone control.
It was the exact same burning sensation that had possessed Zuko when he'd slapped her in the face so violently she'd almost hit the ground.

But Sureen's desperate plea for Hakoda to stop went unheard.

"But I'm afraid your father will never even regret what he did. So please... let me apologize to you, Prince Zuko. I can't apologize in the Fire Lord's stead, but I can apologize as a father. I'm sorry for everything you already had to endure so far and probably still will have to bear. It's degrading, it's wrong, and you haven't deserved any of it." Hadoda knelt in front of the prince, bowing his head, not sure if his words had reached the boy's ears or would have any effect on him at all.

As Sureen held her breath and pressed her eyes shut - too scared to face what might happen next - Zuko desperately did the same. Hoping it would somehow keep him together, would stop the screaming inferno to take over his senses and blow away even his last strands of self-restraint. And while Zuko bit his tongue so hard he felt the metallic taste of blood in his mouth and clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug holes into his worn-out sheets, all Hakoda noticed was the slight trembling of the boy's shoulders. So he slowly reached out for Zuko in what was meant to be a comforting gesture -

"Your extra-time's up! And no further excuses! The next cell's waiting for ya!" Again, the guard's instructions echoed through the room, and again Hakoda silently cursed the man's talent to always find the worst possible timing to interrupt him. Zuko merely coiled up against the wall even more as the intimidating voice made his senses shy away all at once, so the seething, all-consuming chaos inside him died away in no time. Sureen, however, felt as though the load of a thousand boulders was being lifted off her shoulders. As much as she hated to admit it - she was almost grateful to the guard. Because his harsh words had stopped both Hakoda and Zuko just in time. And she didn't dare imagine what would've happened otherwise.

As she was busy calming her nerves, she vaguely heard Hakoda explain something about getting permission to come back to their cell - so she forced her attention back to him and the guards.

"What's with that attitude? It's not you who's issuing the orders here. Don't overstrain your position. I'm sure we'll find someone more obedient for this job if you're unwilling to follow our instructions," Sureen heard one of the guards snarl.

"I assure you that I'm far from overstraining anything," Hakoda hurried to reply. "But I just recognized the, how shall I put it, exceptional prisoner you're keeping in this cell. Given his injuries and his poor health in total, unhygienic conditions like these could easily result in the prisoner's death. And I can't imagine something like that would be to the Fire Lord's liking."

Sureen could almost hear the guards gulp in shock as Hakoda's message sunk in, and the silence following his words spoke volumes.

"And that's why I'd like to ask you if I could possibly come back to this cell anytime soon, because, my apologies, but this place still is anything but hygienic." The fleet captain's voice was virtually dripping with fake politeness. "In the meantime my recommendation would be to at least provide both cots with clean blankets and sheets, and make sure your precious prisoner will get all necessary medical care and dressing material for his injuries." That clearly was an order now. So Hakoda could only hold his breath in fearful expectation of its consequences.

Instead of continuing their conversation with him, instead of replying anything at all, the guards wordlessly decided to handcuff the man again and to force him to follow them all the more violently. But there was no doubt that his lecture had hit home, leaving both guards in a fluster and unable to phrase a consistent answer. Unseen in the semi-darkness, while Hakoda was led away, a gloating smile flashed over Sureen's face. Yes! Way to go! He's got them and they don't even NOTICE it!

And suddenly, there was nothing left but silence, and Sureen almost wondered if the man's appearance had only been a weird daydream or her wishful thinking taking the better of her. Until she heard Zuko's erratic breathing and became aware that his vortex of raging emotions was back with a vengeance, now that the guards had left.

x-x-x

It took forever until she dared approach him. Until then - although it was the last thing she wanted to do at that point - wordlessly sitting on her cot and waiting for Zuko's inner turmoil to somewhat ebb away was her only option. Because he was simply out of reach as long as her slightest attempt to do anything at all would only push him completely over the edge.

Eventually, however, after what felt like hours, he'd let her take a seat at the other end of his cot. So there she sat, silently, motionlessly, for another forever. Until she just couldn't take the silence any longer.

"Zuko... he didn't mean to do that. H-he didn't know... he wasn't aware that... he really didn't mean it," Sureen whispered hesitatingly.

"Pffff... he meant every. Fucking. Word. He did. He... he did. But you know what - I don't need a father. Neither a father that hates me so much he doesn't even want to kill me... nor an oh-so-very noble-minded wannabe-father that thinks he can... fucking apologize... A-and treat me like I was his son, like he was so fucking important that I'd look up to him. Although we haven't even met before. Like he knew what's going on, like he knew anything at all. 'Cause he doesn't! He so doesn't have a clue! And I couldn't care less about his whole show, plus I need it like a damn HOLE IN THE HEAD and I didn't ask for him to act like HE cares," the prince snarled, unable to stop his flood of words or to restrain himself any further.

Right... okay, so there's the rub, huh, Sureen thought with a sigh. But at least it was something. At least Zuko was giving her a hint, even if it sounded more like the most furious rant ever.

"I see," she answered calmly. "Well, come to think of it, Hakoda really has a talent for acting like a father in a way... but towards everyone. Or more like... towards everyone he thinks he's responsible for I guess. And the problem is, he totally doesn't get the point that people are responsible for themselves and that, indeed, it's not him who's supposed to take care of everything and everyone. So I think I'm getting your point."

The girl fell silent for a while, watching Zuko's rage slowly fade due to her unexpected approval.

"But then again... you know, he really cares. It's not like he pretends to be responsible for everyone so people would consider him more important or something. He's just somehow convinced that it's his job to find solutions and fix things and make plans. And I think it's that devotion that makes a lot of people want to support him and his cause. But in turn he thinks it's his job to make sure everyone's alright. And that it's his personal failure when things go wrong and when others make wrong decisions. Also, I think in his past, a lot of things went wrong and he saw a lot of people make wrong decisions.
"So I guess after all he just feels guilty... and tries all he can to make up for it. But that's him being him, you know. Actually, this is not about you... not about hurting you... that really wasn't his intention. It's just who he is I guess. So don't... don't hate him. Or don't act like you hate him."

"I act like whatever I want," Zuko snapped back immediately, folding his arms in front of his chest.
"I – I don't hate him… I hate what he did… or more like, what happened. Almost happened," he hesitantly added after a while. "It feels like I'm turning into a monster and I don't have any control over it. And it's way too easy to get me there. Like, he took me to that point within seconds. And in fact, he had no reason to even talk to me. Why couldn't he just leave me alone?"

"Leaving people alone just isn't for him I guess." Sureen helplessly shrugged her shoulders.

"But sometimes, leaving people alone would be the better option. For everyone involved."

"I know. But it's just... hard. It's hard to act like you don't care when actually, you do."

"That's why I hate when people care. I don't understand why they would and I definitely didn't ask for it a-and... I just hate it."

"But that's because... The thing is, in fact, you hate it because they don't hate you. Because they're offering their help. And the last thing you'd do is to admit that you need it, you can't, 'cause that would be like... it would totally contradict your whole survival strategy thing I guess. And to not let that happen, your inner defense mechanism goes crazy and takes control. So that's why... or at least that would be my explanation... as to why you react like that. But... ugh. I'm just guessing really. Never mind. I don't know."

"All I know is… that I hate it when people do that."

"Well, yeah... that's... pretty obvious." Watching Zuko sit across from her with his arms still crossed in front of his chest, Sureen couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Because his repellent attitude was the most spot-on text book definition of "I hate it." So it really couldn't be more obvious.

"But you know what? I've never been more relieved that I'm female." The way Zuko looked at her now was more like the text book definition of confused, so Sureen hurried to continue. "Well, 'cause that means... of all the things I can ever screw up, treating you like I was your father most definitely won't ever be one of them." A crooked grin tugged at the corners of her mouth as she realized that her insight undeniably held a certain logic.

"I guess," the prince answered after a while, not sounding particularly convinced.

"Ah come on... that's at least something, don't you think? I mean... well, I'm not exactly good at leaving you alone, either, right? But at least you can be sure that... this can't happen to us, you know? Perhaps I'll find my own ways to push you close to the edge... but at least not like that."

"I guess," Zuko repeated defeatedly. "I just wish I could get myself away from that damn edge on my own. Instead of hoping that no one will push me there. Because as it is right now, everything could push me over the edge. And then I'll fight it in vain. Again. Just like... like all I ever do is fight myself and everyone else in vain. It's so tiring. And for naught. And it won't ever end. So... sometimes I just really wish things would end. I wish for everything to be over."

The smile playing on Sureen's lips died away in an instant. It was long ago that she'd shown Zuko the two scars on the insides of her wrists and told him about what had happened. About what she'd tried to do back then. She couldn't tell if he actually remembered that story or the conversation they had. But it didn't matter. Because her own memories would never fade. And she'd still recognize another suicidal mind when she was faced with one. It definitely was nothing to make light of.
The girl pulled her knees close and slid closer to her cell mate that still crouched in the very corner of his cot.

"Zuko... listen, this will be over eventually. But because we'll escape from here. Because we'll leave it all behind. I know Hakoda well enough to tell you that he's secretly working on a plan already. It wasn't mere coincidence that he popped in here today. Just... just trust me, okay? And at least give Hakoda a chance. Don't give up. Nothing's in vain. So... hang in there. Just a little longer. Will you?"

"I - I guess." Zuko released a shaky breath as he felt the touch of Sureen's hand on his back. It wasn't like he'd ever decided that he wanted to give up. It was just hard to find a reason to keep going. And he couldn't even claim he was looking for one. Not anymore. Yet Sureen had somehow found her ways and means to get through to him regardless. As though her confidence, at least to some extent, had a contagious effect on him. As though it reminded him that, no matter what, his story still had more sides than one. And that he shouldn't underestimate the future.
He unconsciously leaned against the hand still resting on his back. "Not like I really have a choice. Not giving up that easily," he added with a flash of his old stubbornness in his voice. "I'm... just real tired right now."

As Sureen listened to Zuko's words, feeling the added weight against her hand, her features slowly lit up again. Seems like his old self is still around... good. That's good, she thought, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Sure... no doubts about that. I guess after today you're officially allowed to be the most tired person in the world. And they're gone now anyway. Everyone's gone. So try and get some rest."

As he didn't reply for a while, Sureen noticed on closer inspection that his eyes had fallen shut and his head had sunken forward so it was resting on his knees now. His breath was calm and deep, and the chaos on his mind had stopped. Apparently, he'd fallen asleep right where he sat. With a sad smile, Sureen reached out for his blanket and carefully draped it around his shoulders. Then she slowly retreated to her own cot.

Watching the prince from afar – the waves of exhaustion he subconsciously still sent out as he slept soundly made her yawn involuntarily – she felt genuinely proud of him. His comment about how he wanted everything to be over had struck home. It had painfully reminded her of the way she'd felt back when... when she'd sunken so low she'd been close to insanity. And when she - unlike Zuko - had really tried to end everything. She wondered how difficult it had to be to not succumb to it all. How much it would take to resist; to find any traces of remaining fighting spirit so one could counter that steady undertow.

But that was exactly what he was doing. He was still finding it somewhere within himself. It might be his own, struggling, twisted way... it was far from perfect, shaky, and it wasn't meant to last forever. But it was human and it was himself, his very own inner strength that still hadn't faded completely. And he wasn't aware of it at all, he couldn't even see what he was accomplishing. But Sureen could. And she was so very proud of him.

x-x-x

The next morning - or at least what felt like the next morning - a guard came in and wordlessly placed an indefinable bundle on the floor. As Sureen took a closer look at the weird thing after the guard was gone, she almost broke into tears right on the spot. The package contained fresh sheets and blankets, and another box full of dressing material and other medical equipment. After carefully putting the box aside, the girl wrapped both arms around the freshly laundered blankets and inhaled deeply.

It smelled like paradise. As though she was becoming a human being again the second it spread in her lungs. It smelled like hope, like a sweet promise, like confidence, like faith...

Like Hakoda.

Burying her face in the sheets, Sureen let the soft fabric muffle the violent sobs bursting out of her.

x-x-x

Song for this chapter: "Rise" by Katy Perry

A/N: Zuuuuuko *inhales deeply*... I am NOT... your father *exhales deeply* :'D...
Sorry xD. Ahem. But yeah... seems like someone has daddy issues, right :P? But oh well. After everything he's been through, he's also officially allowed to have daddy issues. Don't blame him!

And also, apparently someone urgently needed to rant. Or more like... more than someone... Sureen AND Zuko did. ;) So I let them blow off all the steam and gave them all the space they demanded for themselves to ramble on and on xD. That's why the whole thing turned out to be that long in the end, I suppose. But yeah. I totally wanted to include the whole Zuko / Hakoda confrontation thing plus its aftermath... so I couldn't stop any sooner. ;)

So as always (especially when I make my babies become rather emotional) I hope I managed to keep them all in character and to make things sound convincing.

Looking forward to your comments! In the meantime, I'll be working my way closer to the whole escape thing lying ahead. It's gonna happen eventually. But it won't exactly turn out as planned in the end, so it's not really gonna be a perfect happy ending of this "arc". Brace yourselves for a lot of angst yet to come! Anyway, that being said, hope to see you soon! =)