Everything Changed (Zuko x Reader)(Conclusion to the Torn Heart trilogy)

Chapter 6

                 "I'm so excited to get out of here," I murmured to Zuko, getting my bow and quiver from the rocks on the shore.
                 "I know. I'm excited to get you out of here,"
                 I was about to make a snarky remark, but Sokka ordered, "Everyone into the cooler. Let's go."
                 "Are you sure you wanna go? You're the one who said you wanted to redeem yourself. Redeem your honor. Rescuing your dad is your chance," Zuko said.
                 Suki straightened up, "Your dad?"
                 Sokka continued to Zuko, "If I had just cut my losses at the invasion, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe sometimes it's just better to call it quits before you fail."
                 "No, it's not," I said, resolutely.
                 Zuko chimed in, "Look, Sokka, you're going to fail a lot before things work out."
                 "That supposed to make me feel better?" Sokka scoffed.
                 "Even though you'll probably fail over and over and over again,"
                 "Seriously, not helping,"
                  I stayed silent, knowing first hand Zukos failures. Zuko grabbed Sokkas shoulder and forced him to look him in the eye, "You have to try every time. You can't quit because you might fail."
                  Chit Sangs voice at that moment made me jump, "Hey, if you two are done cuddling, can we get a move on?"
                  "No, I'm staying," Sokka looked to each of us in turn, "You guys go."
                  He leveled his gaze at Suki last, "You've been here long enough."
                  "I'm not leaving here without you, Sokka," she breathed. I wrapped my hands around Zukos arm and squeezed, my heart squeezing as well.
                  "I'm staying, too," he said. I nodded,
                  "Of course, we'll stay."
                  The moment was shattered by Chit Sang again, "Not me. I'm out. Let's roll, baby."
                  We watched him push the cooler into the current, jump in, and there went our chance of escape. Sokka voiced my thoughts, "I hope we haven't just made a huge mistake,"

      We snuck back into the fortress and hunkered down just within the wall. Abruptly, at the same time there was panicked shouting all around us.
"The plan failed!" Sokka hissed, "They're caught!"
"Good thing we weren't with them," I muttered.
We returned out attention to the unloading dock where a gondola was emerging from the steam.
"If my dad's not there, we've risked everything for nothing," Sokka said, and I held my breath.
We watched each prisoner step off the gondola, until...
"That's it? That can't be it," Sokka choked out. I felt out whole group deflate.
"I'm sorry, Sokka," Suki said, embracing him from behind.
Meanwhile, I turned to Zuko, giving him a now what? look. He just looked solemnly back at me for a moment, before turning his eyes back to the gondola above us. I followed his gaze as a guard bellowed,
"Hey, you! Get off the gondola!"
I felt my heart quicken and Sokka straightened as Hakoda appeared in the doorway. I threw my hand over my mouth to keep from crying out in victory, but Sokka just breathed,
"Dad..."