A/N: And, finally, we have chapter nine. The romance is really starting to progress in this one.

Warnings: OCs, May/December.

The Moonbeam's Warm Embrace
Chapter Nine: The Commander's Embrace
By: Nuit Songeur

Kaya's eyes slowly drifted open. The never-ceasing sway of the ship always made her stomach uneasy which was why she always preferred staying at the camp rather than being stationed on one of the ships. She sighed, pushing the blanket off of her and throwing her legs over the side of the bunk bed that jutted from the metal wall.

The cabin was completely metal. And dark. It made her feel trapped. Which was why she usually spent most of her time on deck. She didn't know what time it was, guessing maybe early morning due to the sheer silence of the ship, but she still left her cabin and made her way to the deck.

It was dark up there too. Probably before dawn. She didn't see anyone else so she wandered over to the edge, resting her elbows on the metal railing. She peered down at the dark waters below that turned into white foam whenever it collided with the ship. A wind blew from the north but she was already wearing her parka: something she had made before they left camp. Her old one, the one she was wearing when she was first captured, had become too small for her seventeen-year-old body.

The instructions of the new Admiral resounded continuously in her head.

Every few days, record everything you experience.

There will be a snowy owl awaiting at the rendezvous point everyone so often, ready to take your findings to us. There may or may not be more orders attached to him.

He never told her what she was looking for, exactly. He just wanted to know her day-to-day activities, what she was doing. Kaya didn't see the point in it but she obliged, nonetheless. Now, they were dropping her off at a certain location so she could make the rest of the way to the Water Tribe by herself. The ship couldn't get too close; otherwise, the Tribe would be alerted of its presence by the soot it released from its smoke stacks.

Kaya sighed again. Many thoughts ran through her head. There would be questions, no doubt, of what had happened to her. She already had a story prepared for that, albeit a feeble one. And then there was the matter of meeting her family again. What would her parents say? What would Kohath say? Would he even remember her? What did he look like now? Kaya's fists clenched and unclenched as she grew more anxious.

And what about the after? When they attacked? The Admiral promised her full protection so long as she didn't directly confront a Fire Nation soldier. Kaya wasn't so sure. And she didn't want to even think about the possibility if her people discovered that she was a… traitor.

Kaya didn't like that word. It made her stomach squirm painfully just thinking about it.

"You're up early," noted a voice from behind her. Kaya easily recognized it as Tzko's.

"And you can be counted on to know exactly where I'm at," she responded humorlessly. He approached, coming from her left side. She didn't look at him and instead kept her eyes trained on the waters below.

"Kaya…" he started hesitantly. "I'm not sure how to say at this without you snapping at me because you've been doing that a lot lately. But, you don't seem like yourself and… I'm quite concerned for you." His words touched Kaya to the point where she still couldn't meet his gaze.

"How old are you, Commander?" she asked, voicing a question she had long since been curious about. Her stomach tightened after she asked it, preparing for the answer.

"Twenty-eight," he said at length, confused by the sudden question. He was eleven years older than her. Kaya's heart sank at that realization and her gloominess only grew.

"You're pretty young for a Commander," she told him, her tone bland and depressed. She sensed his growing confusion at her reaction.

"I suppose I am," he said slowly.

"Do you have any family?"

"My parents and a younger brother," he said slowly, examining her carefully. "So what are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," she replied miserably.

"Why?"

"Bad dream," she mumbled back, running her fingernail across the ship's railing. He was silent for a moment.

"I don't know if I could do it."

"Do what?"

"Go home to them, knowing I would betray them." Kaya clenched her fist.

"Well, that makes me feel so much better," she said dryly. She sighed and turned away from him. "I'm going back to bed." She took a step and then Tzko hastily grabbed her wrist.

"Wait, Kaya," he said. Kaya stopped but refused to look at him. "Why are you so hostile to me, now? Why do you act as though you hate me? Have I done anything to offend you?"

Kaya didn't answer but stared at the ground gloomily.

"So you do hate me and I was mistaken in thinking that we were friends." She found herself mentally cringing at the last word.

"I don't hate you," Kaya said quietly. "I just find myself confused."

"About what?" He pulled her closer to him.

"Everything," was all she answered. She started moving away from him again but he still clung tightly to her wrist.

"Talk to me Kaya!" he pleaded exasperatedly. "Please…" he quietly added.

"What would you like me to talk about, Commander?" Tzko tugged on her arm again and turned her around to where she was facing him. Kaya blinked and saw that his face was suddenly quite close to hers.

"Tzko," he said. "My name is Tzko." Kaya's heart was beating wildly.

"Your title is Commander. And I am the seventeen year old Water Tribe peasant." She emphasized her age to him but he seemed to be oblivious to it. Tzko smirked.

"I confess that I am not used to that new title yet." Kaya's thoughts spun rabidly. She had no idea what Tzko was trying to do or what it was she wanted out of the situation. She did think that they were both too close to each other for a mere casual conversation. She felt heat gathering in her cheeks.

"Are you married, Commander?" she asked suddenly, clamping her mouth shut as soon as the question was voiced. She averted his gaze, tearing herself from his hypnotic amber eyes. It took him a moment to answer.

"No."

The answer, despite its simplicity, sent relief flooding through Kaya. She sighed and her shoulders slumped. He took that as invitation to wrap his arms around her in an embrace and kiss her on the forehead. Kaya suddenly found herself frozen for that one painstaking moment.

"Tzko…" she mumbled weakly. Tears began welling in her eyes.

"Kaya," he responded. It was a sigh. He sounded distracted.

"I'm not so sure about this…"

"You were worried if I was married. You were…" his voice trailed off as he held Kaya tighter to him. Her stomach flipped several times and her skin felt like it was on fire. She felt his armor pressing into her skin. She let the embrace extend for another minute before she awkwardly pried herself from the Commander. She tried her best to ignore the tears starting to steadily stream down her face.

"I need to go," she said quickly, her voice strained. He stared at her.

"Kaya…" He reached for her again but she backed away before he could. He withdrew his hand. "I'm sorry," he said gravely. "I didn't mean to impose." Kaya shook her head.

"Today I will be returning to the North Pole." He nodded.

"Yes, you'll be returning to your family."

"I'll be betraying my family. You… all of you will kill them soon enough." Kaya squeezed her eyes shut. She wiped her tears on a sleeve impatiently.

"I told you didn't have to do this." Kaya opened her eyes.

"You don't understand." Her voice was thick. "I do. If I didn't, everyone in the camp would just think that I was some traitor to them for not betraying my people. You know how many of them would try to kill me then? You wouldn't even have a chance of protecting me from them all."

"Kaya, it's not like that."

"It is and you know it!" Tzko sighed.

"You've done more than enough of proving yourself worthy of everyone's trust."

"Except that everyone doesn't trust me."

"You can't get everyone to trust you, Kaya. It's impossible." She turned sideways to him.

"I know I can't." She was shaking. "Heal the men and you will survive. That was what Commander Shinu told me when I first came to that camp seven years ago. And I did just that. And then I grew attached to everyone that came to my tent. You were no exception when you came with your broken arm. You weren't barbaric savages like my people claimed of the Fire Nation. At least, not after a while. You were people. People with hopes and dreams and fears. And they-" Kaya gestured northward. "-are people just as much you are." Tzko was silent for a moment.

"I know, Kaya." She rounded on him, glaring.

"I hate this war!" she shrieked. In unison with her scream, a massive wave crashed over the deck, a direct result of her hysteria. Panting, Kaya suddenly found herself in another embrace.

"I'm sorry, Kaya." Tzko said softly. "Sorry that we've done this to you." Kaya's rough breathing soon turned into heaving sobs. She in turn wrapped her arms around Tzko and cried her grief into his chest.

"Thank you, Tzko," she whispered after a while when her throat was dry, addressing him by his name for the first time.

There you are! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!

-NuitSongeur