Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

The brisk air of early autumn carried in the breeze and caressed my cheeks and blew my hair away from my face. A haze twisted through the gardens, moisture rising from the rain earlier that day and making the air damp as though I was walking through a cloud. The half moon gave me enough light to see what was around me. Nipping cold bit through my thin cotton coat and silken nightgown; the only warmth I felt came from Bosco walking next to me, his lumbering paces occasionally causing a furry leg to brush against me. I rested a hand on his back, and he grumbled.

"We're a lot alike, you know that, buddy?" I said. "Everyone expects us to be scary and mean, but we're not. We couldn't be even if we wanted to."

Three months in the Earth Kingdom had proved to be more difficult than anyone could've imagined. The only friendly face in the palace was Kuei; most of the other officials wouldn't even acknowledge I was there. When the word got out to the citizens I had returned to Ba Sing Se, the demonstrations began. Speeches were given. Organizations were formed in hate. Effigies were burned. There were days Kuei and I didn't dare go outside the palace, not even to the gardens where I walked now. Some of the people began to lash out at Kuei, and those brave enough to speak against him or hold rallies for support of his overthrowing were arrested for treason. Tears were spilt. Kisses were shared. Letters were sent home.

Home. No placed seemed deserving of the title for me. I didn't want the Fire Nation, and the Earth Kingdom didn't want me. I knew the house at Lake Laogai better than the palace because Kuei and I had retreated there so many times when not even the palace felt safe. The only place I could begin to call home was wrapped in Kuei's arms. There was where I could pretend I was safe.

When the rioters grew tired of yelling and fighting with the palace police, nights were quiet. I snuck outside to walk by myself and tell myself that we were going to be alright. Bosco tagged along because being moved back into the palace bothered him, and he wanted to be outside. His loyalty to Kuei was unfailing, and we figured he would protect him if he was threatened. Bosco also had a strange attachment to me. I couldn't decide if it was because Kuei liked me so Bosco agreed, or if he'd just forgotten who I had been and only cared about who I was now.

Kuei didn't know I left like this; although, I figured he wouldn't mind if he did know. I needed time to be alone and have space to breathe. Tonight, I found a grassy spot, and Bosco and I laid down on the wet grass to look at the stars. Kuei loved to stargaze, and on nights we spent at the lake, he would take me to roof to show me all the Earth Kingdom constellations. I usually ended up falling asleep, and he would carry me down to bed. I always felt bad about it though, since stars were so fascinating for him, and tonight I tested myself on what I could remember.

There was Oma and Shu, towards the west. I could always find that one. The different kings were all in the north. The great badgermole was northwest. To the east was a fabled warrior I couldn't remember the story to. A lionturtle was in the south as well as an Avatar from generations long ago.

It wasn't long and I could hear Bosco snoring. I rolled over onto my stomach and propped myself up on my elbows to look him square in the face. "Is it that boring for you, too?" I asked him.

He rubbed his paw across his face and blinked his black eyes at me.

"Come on, we should get back before someone notices we're gone anyway," I told him, pushing myself up to stand. Bosco clumsily trotted after me and eventually was at my side again. I couldn't help but smile. He was so oblivious to the danger surrounding us. Bosco just enjoyed having his ears scratched, and occasionally someone to cuddle with.

Every day it was harder to believe that Kuei had told me they would get used to me. They would move on from what I'd done when they figured out what I could do. Unfortunately, the riots and protests were so bad, I couldn't stick a toe outside of the palace without losing it. No one was going to listen to me.

Not being listened to was nothing new to me. In fact, the only person I expected to listen to me was Kuei. That way when anyone else bothered to, it was a pleasant surprise. And to be honest, the only difference between not being listened to in the Fire Nation and not being listened to in the Earth Kingdom was the color. The fuss being made over my existence here and the invisibility I'd established there didn't even seem like a difference. Whichever I had, I secretly wished to be the other.

About a week ago, Kuei had caved into the protesters and told me I was free to go home at any time. So I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around him. When he hugged me tight in return, I told him that he was home. The rest of the day, he refused to let go of me.

Tonight though, Bosco and I snuck back into the palace, something that grew increasingly easier the longer the riots lasted. Guards and soldiers spent any still moment asleep, and I was counting the days until they joined the protesters in aggravation of me.

In truth, I was aggravated with myself. Nothing I did was easy. Did fate have it that I would unknowingly punish myself for the horrible things I had done? I had walked into Ba Sing Se on the Earth King's arm knowing there would be danger, and yet I did it anyway. I leaned against the walls of meeting rooms for hours, standing in the shadows and watching time after time the Council of Five shoot down Kuei's politics. They all thought I was controlling him, that anything he said was not his own.

This wasn't true. I cringed every time the accusation came to my ears. Kuei and I barely talked politics. The issue on the table was me anyway, and we both stood on the same side about that: I was here to stay, and I would cause no harm.

Bosco and I had made it to the final hallway before my assigned rooms when he stopped to sneeze. I turned around and held my finger to my lips as if he were human. Bosco only cocked his head at my gesture. We stood in silence for a moment, me waiting to see if anyone would appear to check on the noise. No one came rushing to fight off intruders, and I continued down the hallway, Bosco fumbling after me.

My door was slightly open when I knew I had made sure to close it when I left. My heartbeat quickened, but I carefully pushed the door open wide enough to fit Bosco through and we entered. Moonlight from the windows and the glow of one candle gave me enough to make out the shape of someone sitting on the edge of my bed in the middle of the room. They turned at the thudding of Bosco's footsteps. Bosco immediately recognized his friend and bounded across the room to greet him.

I smiled sheepishly, keeping the distance of the long bed between us.

"Where were you?" Kuei asked, his voice breaking as he spoke. Bosco nudged his master's knees until he placed a hand on the bear's head to scratch his ears.

"Outside, just in the gardens," I answered. The candle light caught in his glasses and cast a glare over them. "I just wanted to breathe some fresh air."

"I thought you'd left for good." He yanked the glasses off and rubbed at his eyes. "You shouldn't go out alone like that."

My smile left me, and I crawled across the bed to reach him. "I know," I said. "Everything seemed quiet though, and I took Bosco with me." At his side, I could see the moisture in his gray eyes. "I wasn't trying to scare you."

He put his arm around me and I buried myself in him. Bosco sat on the ground with a grunt. "Everything scares me," he mumbled.

"I wouldn't leave you," I offered as assurance. "Never at all, but certainly not without telling you."

Kuei managed one cough of laughter. "I should know that," he said as he pulled his hand through my hair. "Some days it's still hard to convince myself you're here at all."

The spot now empty, I laid my head in his lap. "Is that what you're doing here in the middle of the night?"

"Yes," he admitted, hints of shame creeping into his voice. "I dreamt you had decided to go back home, so I came down just to make sure you were still here."

And I hadn't been there. "Kuei, I'm so sorry."

He didn't respond; he just continued to run his fingers through my hair.

"Besides," I said, "I told you home was right here." His hand stopped, and I turned onto my back to look up at him. A grin slowly crept across his face.

"Why are you so wonderful?" he asked.

"Not as wonderful as you," I argued lightly with my own grin. "Please stay with me the rest of the night; I don't think I could sleep without you to snuggle with now."

"Of course."

Bosco grumbled in his indistinct bear language and licked my face. Kuei and I began to laugh as I wiped the bear spit off of me. Kuei pulled me up to sit, and Bosco planted his head in both our laps.

"I guess someone else thinks he needs to stay, too," I laughed, running my hand across the top of his head.

Kuei's arms around me tightened. "You know what Bosco is perfect for?"

I glanced up at him. His eyes danced in the moonlight with whatever silly thought entertained his mind. "What is that?"

"He makes the best pillow," Kuei answered. "Come on, let's get some blankets, and I'll show you."

Kuei and I regressed to children like no one I'd ever met before. We gathered all the blankets off my bed and coaxed Bosco into the corner, then rubbed his belly until he was asleep beyond being shaken awake. We curled up next to him, leaning our backs against his fluffy coat and burying ourselves in blankets. We whispered good night's and sweet dream's to each other, and Kuei kissed my forehead.

"You taste like fish," he teased.

We shared one more laugh before drifting off to sleep. I nestled myself deeper in Kuei's arms, determined to never leave them.

Just a little epilogue nugget. I broke a big rule of fiction by switching perspectives, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

C'est fini. Merci beaucoup.