1. Home Coming

Disclaimer: No, it's terribly sad, but I do not own Avatar, or any of its characters… tear tear.

(AN: A new story! (yay) Yes wonderfully exciting. Just so everyone knows, this is set in an alternate universe, so conditions are completely different. That being said, on with the story!)

_Chapter one: Home Coming_

Lady Katara stared out the window of the small carriage, her cheek resting delicately on the palm of her slim hand. Blue eyes gazed intensely out the gold-framed window; catching every flourish of motion the playful breeze compelled the leaves into making. The smells of the woods reached her and she breathed deeply and contentedly. Finally after so many years she was returning home.

A smile lit her face and she almost laughed out loud. Home. The word sounded so good in her mind she wanted to shout it out, alert the forest and the animals and peasants of her joy. However, such behavior was not expected or tolerated from the daughter of one of the head families in Sythina, she was to be proper, lady-like and polite at all times. She kept quiet, but the smile stayed, hugging her face.

Her smile turned into a wide grin and she pulled back from the window, away from the beckoning breeze as the drapes slipped with a rustle back into place. She gazed at the plush interior of her carriage. The dark blue wall at the front swirled full of designs of drops and waves that were so life-like Katara felt she could almost reach out and bend it like the real substance it represented. Around her, cushions of blue and green hugged her and reminded her of soft bed that awaited her at home. Oh, how she missed that bed, her dresser and vanity mirror, her room. It had been so long, and now, at last, after years of school she was going to see her family again.

Would they be surprised at how much she had changed? Would they notice how long her hair had grown, and how she now braided it instead of letting it fall free? What about how her face had changed and rounded into soft features? What about her eyes? Would they realize they had become the same color her mother had in all the pictures? She couldn't help but squirm with excitement; it really was wonderful to know she would see them soon.

"Lady Katara, you can see the city now," the coachmen called softly. In a rush, Katara had pulled the drapes away again and gasped. They had cleared the woods now and were on a road that wound it's way along a ridge. There, way down below, was the beautiful city of Sythina. The large buildings looked so small down there, like the dollhouses Katara had made when she was little. The gold rooftops of the city reflected the sun into her eyes, but she refused to look away. This was the city she had been absent from for the last nine years. Flags waved at the far away gates, one blue and one red, both stood out against the silver of the gates. Katara strained her eyes and… yes there it was! There was her house! She could just barely see the small dots of blue that were the large flags on the either side of the main entrance. The small patch of green outside was where she and her brother had played as children.

The coach hurdled along the ridge, coming closer to the path the led them down the winding ridge side. Katara pulled back into the coach. It would not be good if the first impression she made was that of a fool sticking her head out the window and drooling as the wind hit her in the face and messed her hair. What would that say about her family, that they had sent away their only daughter to become an idiot? No, no that was certainly not what she wanted. Once again within the confines of the elegant carriage, Katara closed her eyes and leaned back against the wonderful cushions. She stayed that way for the rest of the ride, only opening her eyes as they reached the gate, she couldn't help the smile the split her face. The music that announced them into the city was so new and yet so familiar.

Giving into the urge to peek, Katara let a finger slip through the heaving curtains and pull it back just an inch. Outside was the bustle she remembered so well. The small shops and vendors, the carts that sold flowers and vegetables, a larger shop that sold formal dresses. This was her home she had longed for over the years of school.

She peeked out once again, this time finding faces. Women, wearing stunning dresses chatted casually about the new fashions or where their husbands stood in politics, keeping a wary eye on their children who played together, or stared hungrily into shops of candy makers. Katara remembered being one of those children. She and her brother would stand for hours, discussing which candy was the sweetest or had the most interesting taste. She had once watched a man make candy; fascinated with the way he had stirred the ingredients until they had been just the texture and flavor he wanted. When he had finished molding and hardening the small pieces, had winked at Katara and offered her a piece for free. Katara had run home and announced that she was going to be a candy maker. Her brother had pouted, saying that he wanted to do that too and 'How come Katara gets to be a candy maker?' Her father had laughed, long and hard and told her that if really wanted to, she could be. Katara smiled at the memory.

Standing away from the women were men and older boys, who laughed and joked, sometimes comparing prices of weapons or talked about the women they were seeing. Home sweet home. She let the drapes once again fall into place and she simply let herself listen as they passed busy streets. The smells invaded the small vehicle, smells of meat and pastry, sometimes a pungent flower, and her favorite of all was when they passed the incense shop. The rich smells blended together in a smoky aroma and Katara remembered passing the small shop everyday when she had been young on her way to the small school she attended with her brother. Soon the noise died down and Katara new she was riding through the small streets, away from the town bustle. The coach began to slow and Katara held her breath. Home, here it was. She felt the gentle jolt as the coach stopped all together and heard the thump as the driver dropped to the ground and moved to open the door for her. Sunlight steamed in as Katara accepted the coachmen's gloved hand. He helped her gently to the ground and then hurried to get her luggage, coattails flapping.

Katara took a moment to look at the house she had not seen in nine years. It was exactly as she remember, clipped, lush lawn, impressive white walls the bordered the inner house. The blue flags waved happily in the breeze, declaring that the family that lived within were the leaders of Water. Her family. Barely managing not to run inside, Katara slipped in through the heavy doors of the house. The courtyard was the same, but the trees had definitely grown and the stones had more moss in the cracks between them. Katara turned in a circle taking in the beauty of her house; she had missed it so much.

"Katara?" she turned at the sound of her name and couldn't help but laugh with the joy to find her older brother. He had grown too. Instead of the small little boy who had stuck to Katara's side was a man. His hair was pulled back into a low tie and he was nearly a head taller than her. Before Katara could move, he had enveloped her in a huge hug, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around before setting her back down.

"Look at you, you've grown so much." He placed his hands on her shoulders and stepped back as if to inspect her. He looked her up and down once, and then smirked. "Are you sure you're my little sister? She couldn't possibly be this beautiful," He teased and then pulled her back into a hug. Katara laughed against his chest, content to stay in his arms. She had been close with Sokka when she was young, and one of her only fears about returning home had been that they could have drifted apart. However, being here now Katara new that time had not created any damage.

Finally, Sokka let her go and grinned. "You must be hungry, here." He took her hand and led her down to where Katara new the kitchens were. "If my memory is correct you were always hungry when we were little." He smirked at her from over his shoulder.

"You must be losing your memory, _you_ were the one who was always hungry." Katara giggled. "Are you already that old already?"

"Hey, if I'm old, you're old." Sokka laughed, opened the door to the kitchen and pulled Katara in. "What do you want?"

Katara shrugged. Sure, she was hungry, but there had been so many special foods she had missed while she was at school, she couldn't decide what to have first. Sokka seemed to understand what she was thinking, so instead of having her decide, he pulled out what he knew was her favorite. Jerky. Or was it his favorite? Either way, he knew Katara had liked it. He pushed her down into one of the seats and put the plate in front of her. Katara politely took a piece before she spoke again.

"So what's been going on while I'm gone? What have I missed?" Sokka smirked as he grabbed a piece of the jerky as well.

"Nothing much is new, our family is still at the throats of the Fire Clan of course, and it's unlikely the rivalry will ever really get sorted out with just us. Not that it should, our family has a right to be angry, our ancestors were wronged." His fist hit the table. Katara winced slightly. Just like dad, Sokka hated the Fire Clan, Katara did too, she knew that they had done something in the past that was unforgivable, but the constant fights and squabbling that went on really wasn't worth the whole grudge. Sokka stole another piece of jerky from Katara's plate and swallowed.

"Other than that, everything is as it was when we were little." His blue eyes found hers and he smiled. His hand slide across the table until he was just lightly touching Kataras'. "I missed you Kat, I really did." Katara smiled at the nickname. In truth, she had missed Sokka more than anyone else. He had been there for her when their mother had died, and he had been her constant protector until she had left for school. They were both quiet for a minute before Sokka suddenly jumped.

"I just remembered!" he grabbed another piece of jerky in his excitement. "Remember when we were little, and our mother used to talk about the Avatar, the one who is destined to sort out or problems and give our clans what they rightly deserve?" Katara nodded once. She remembered the nights she had cuddled in her mother's lap and listen to her soft voice talk of the one who would end the conflict. "Well, he's been found! Father found him last week on the outskirts of town and brought him to live with us. He's still a bit young, but soon, we're gonna get what the Fire Clan owes us. Right now, we're keeping him a secret so the Fire Clan doesn't find out and kidnap him." Sokka's eyes glittered with excitement. "Finally, we will prove that we are the right side in this fight." He took the last piece of jerky from the plate. Katara smiled. She loved seeing her brother so happy.

"Here, you have to come meet him." He pulled her up from the table and scurried through the blue halls until he stopped, panting, in front of a room Katara knew opened up into the courtyard. Sokka knocked once and there was a cheerful 'Come in' from the other side. Sokka flashed her a smile and then pushed open the door.

Inside, sitting on the small bed was a young boy, at least a year younger than Katara. Arrow tattoos covered his head and his hands, and he smiled brightly when he saw Sokka. "Hey Sokka, what's up?" He stood and stretched from his bed when he caught sight of Katara. His grin widened. "Are you Sokka's sister? Katara? It's really nice to meet you!" He smiled and offered his hand. Katara took it and smiled. She had expected someone maybe a bit older than he was, but the kid seemed nice enough.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you too." Katara took his hand and the kid smiled.

"I'm Aang, hey, I have a great idea, why don't you and I go into town later and see the Emu-horse races? I think I know where they're going on today." His eyes danced happily as he laughed. Sokka smirked.

"Oh, I see what's going on here." Sokka chuckled slightly. Aang looked away and blushed and Katara colored slightly.

"Sokka!" she turned to him her fist raised. Sokka laughed and held up his hands in defeat.

"I'm just kidding Katara. But what Aang said sounds like fun, you should go, you've been gone so long and you should get to know the town again." Aang, having regained his composure nodded happily.

"I guess I should, it has been a long time. After I get settled and see father, we can go," She smiled and skipped off to her room, leaving Sokka and Aang alone.

Her footsteps echoed through the halls, and Katara couldn't help but add a slight rhythm to her steps, twirling and jumping as she moved through the halls. Music played through her head and her body moved to the beat. When she had been little, her mother had danced with her in the courtyard and halls, humming softly and teaching little Katara how to move her body to fit music. At school Katara had never been able to dance through the halls, teachers had always been watching. Master Pakku had been especially strict, even though Katara had been one of his favored students, he had taken it upon himself to catch her in every misstep, and her corridor dancing had been his pet peeve.

Though she hadn't been home for a very long time, Katara found she remembered every little hall and door of the large house, but then again, Katara loved her house and letting something so important to her escape her memories would have been terrible.

Katara found her room, the last chamber at the end of a long hall. It was a spacious room that had been painted blue. In fact, almost everything in her room was blue, the bedspread, the curtains on her bed and the drapes that covered the glass doors that led out to her balcony. These she pulled back now and stepped out to feel the gentle breeze that had been calling to her the whole ride home. The balcony, though not large had the most beautiful view in the house. It over looked the back garden, over the vegetable patch her mother had once owned, the large spacious lawn the spread all the way to the back whitewashed wall. Flowers grew in bright flourishes in the small gardens that lined the walls. Beyond the walls, trees grew, some of their branches hanging over the wall, offering a cooling shade in the summer heat. Katara leaned against the rail and smiled, letting the breeze play with her braid. When she had been little, Katara had spent most of her time in the garden, picking flowers with her mother or trying to catch the rare butterfly that fluttered in. Sometimes she and Sokka would climb into the hanging branches and giggled while their mother looked for them. When she at last found them, she would laugh and grab them down from the tree, exclaiming at what bright children she had that were able to fool their own mother.

Katara's smile dimmed slightly. And then her mother was gone. After all those wonderful times, she had died, leaving the children alone to be raised by their father. He was a good man, maybe a little distracted to spend a lot of time with his children, but he made an effort. He loved them as much as he could with all the other issues that kept him occupied, like the welfare of the Water Clan, or plans of getting what they were owed from the Fire Clan. Katara shook herself, now was not the time to reminisce. She was home, at long last she has home and there would be nothing that got in the way of her joy.

"Where's my beautiful daughter?" The voice boomed out over the garden and Katara smiled. Her father knew she was home, Sokka must have told him. She raced back through her room, practically tumbled down the stairs and was captured once again in a bear hug. "Here she is, home from school! How are you my dear?" Katara looked up into the kindly eyes of her father. Maybe he didn't have a lot of time, but he did care.

"I'm great, how are you?" She asked as he set her down from his hug and stepped back to look at her much like Sokka had.

"I'm fine of course my dear, you met the Avatar, yes? Soon we will defeat the horrible Fire Clan, but enough about me, how was school? How was your mission?" He slung his arm over her shoulder and led her through the house again, this time to the great dinning room. A long wooden table was set at the center of the room; there was enough room for all the servants to sit. Indeed, in the evenings at dinner, almost the entire serving staff ate dinner with them. Her father was a very kind man and made sure that everyone under his rule was taken care of.

Katara's father settled himself at the head of the table and gestured for Katara to sit next to him. Katara sat obediently as her father looked her over again. The wrinkles around his eyes crinkled as he smiled. "It is so nice for you to be home again Katara, we've all missed you." Katara nodded. Though she hadn't missed her father as much as Sokka, she had longed to see him again. His short hair that he wore like Sokka, his large but caring form and the traditional Water Clan robes he wore. All of these she missed dearly.

As Katara sat and talked with her father, she realized how important her family truly was to her. And, silently, she made an oath to herself that she would never hurt them or do anything to upset them, they were everything she was, all she had. They were as much part of her as much as the ability to control water was.

Both father and daughter turned as a clatter of footsteps thundered down the stairs and the young avatar burst into the room. His face was bright, like it had been when Katara had first met him. On his arm perched a small creature all white except for a black face and bright green eyes. It was making clicking sounds and looked slightly unbalanced from its flight down the stairs on its master arm. "Hey Katara, are you ready to go?" He asked cheerfully, soothing the chattering creature on his arm with a pat.

Katara's father smiled at the young boy. "Ah, Aang, taking Katara out to see the city again. Good, good, she should get reacquainted with it again." He rose a gave Katara a gentle kiss on the cheek before dropping a couple gold pieces into her hand and shooing away her thanks and out the door. The small creature on the Avatar's arm sniffed quizzically at her before making clicking noises again and curling his tail around Aang's head. Catching Katara looking at the small creature he reached up and pulled it off his shoulder.

"This is Momo, he's my pet lemur. He's really smart; so don't say anything around him that might offend him or he'll get back at you for it." He offered her Momo, and she offered her arm. Momo leapt happily onto her arm and scurried up to her shoulder. Katara laughed and Aang smiled.

"Is Sokka coming with us?" Katara asked as they left the courtyard and inner house. Aang shook his head. "Nah, he said he'd rather stay home than watch Emu-horse raises. I don't understand why he doesn't enjoy them." Aang shook his head in bafflement and then skipped ahead. "Come on Katara, I bet I can beat you there!" Katara shook her head, oh no, he wasn't getting away that easily. Making sure Momo was secure on her shoulder she took off after the young boy.

As the two ran, Katara began to remember the shops they passed by. There was the black smith, and that was the store the kind old lady sold herbs and medicines. The children that ran in between them wore clothes Katara remembered wearing too. She and Aang paused only long enough for her to stop at a jewelry store she remembered her mother liked to buy from. Looking quickly through the small selection, Katara's interest was caught by a small necklace. The design was simple and modest, a small blue jewel that hung from woven thread. The kind old storekeeper wrapped it up for her and handed her the package in a small bag. Then she and Aang were back out in the street, running off again toward where the racetracks were.

However, as they got further from her home, Katara began to grow uneasy. She had only been through the market and house areas as a child, and as she and Aang continued, she couldn't remember this area. It was getting dirtier as they went, and Katara slowed down slightly.

"Hey, Aang, do you know where we are going?" she inquired nervously as she slowed down and came to a halt. The Avatar in front of her stopped too and looked over his shoulder.

"Don't worry, we're nearly there, just a bit farther, okay?" He turned so he could offer his hand and Katara accepted it gladly as they continued. The area grew dirtier and grubbier as they continued walking. Men leaning on doorframes watched them as they passed, eyes squinting and bleary from alcohol. Katara moved closer to Aang, trying to get away from their eyes. The women that were out in the street were dirty and kept their children close to them. The shops around this area were small and the windows were so foggy and scratched Katara doubted she would be able to see in. On her shoulder, Momo seemed nervous too, and his small claws gripped her skin painfully. They passed alleyways and old street signs, the words to unclear to read. Katara couldn't help but wonder what had happened to this part of the town.

Aang led her along porously, ignoring the muttering from the men. A sudden crash behind them made them both whirl around, only to find a drunken man had stumbled into a bunch of piled crates in the alleyway and had knocked them over. Momo on the other hand, was scared so badly that he leapt off Katara's shoulder, into the air and went chattering away over a building.

"I'll get him, the race track is just a block away. Walk straight and you'll find it no problem. I'll meet you there, wait for me at the entrance, okay?" Katara gulped and nodded, however she was not so sure she felt completely safe alone in this neighborhood. Aang grinned before darting off. "I'll be right back!" He called over his shoulder.

Soon the young boy disappeared, and, clutching her bag to her chest, Katara started to walk again. She could feel the eyes of men on her, and she didn't like the way the women sneered as she past. As she walked further up the road, she began to see signs of the racetrack. A few more people were around, and the snatches of conversation she caught seemed to be about betting.

"-say he's the fastest but has a slow start-"

"-lost all my money on 'im when he tripped-"

"-good speed, says he's a good starter-"

Feeling slightly more comfortable, Katara relaxed slightly and walked a bit more briskly. She found the entrance gate without a problem and waited nervously for Aang. She could smell the musk of the stables beyond her and could hear the bang of gates as they were tested for flaws. This wasn't so bad, she decided, nothing was going to happen.

"Well, lookie here. A little bird has lost her way." A greasy voice whispered in her ear as an arm sneaked around her shoulders. Katara jerked away and whirled around to see a group of five or six men in dirty clothes had managed to sneak up on her blind side. Their hair was sticking up at strange angles and it looked tangled. Their clothes had patches of dirt sticking to them and were as unkempt as the bodies they were placed upon. A few of the men held half-full bottles that Katara was sure were alcoholic. The seemingly leader of the men swaggered, slightly unsteadily, forward. His face was filled with scars and his eyes were beady and overly bright.

"Don't worry darling," He wheezed, still moving forward as Katara backed away from him "we ain't gonna hurt you." The men behind him chuckled and sly smile lit the man's face as he heard his comrades' laughter.

The man turned to his companions and raised his hands. "All right now fellas, your gone scare off our little bird," he laughed. His eyes fixed on Katara once more and he smirked. "And we certainly don't want to do that."

Katara winced as her back hit a wall and she felt herself falling into panic. Where was Aang? Why wasn't he back yet? What was going to happen to her? The men around her watched avidly as their leader staggered forward and finally was close enough to reach Katara. His hands found her chin, his skin dirty and rough. He forced her chin upwards until she was looking straight at him and he chuckled as he recognized the fear in her eyes. His breath stank of beer and smoke.

Katara tried to calm herself down, tried to think clearly. There was no water around and so bending was out of the option. There was only one thing she could do as the man began to lean toward her face, she lifted her knee slowly and when he was about an inch away from her face, she rammed her knee into him as hard as she could.

There was a sudden pause where everything was still, and then the man swore, doubling over in pain. Katara broke free from her trapped position against the wall and tore off down the street, barely registering the thumping of footsteps behind her. Clinging to her bag desperately, she ran blindly, turning corners when they came and dodging past people. Her breaths were coming in gasps now, but she couldn't stop, she could still hear them behind her, shouting at and cursing the people who stumbled into their way.

Glancing over her shoulder, Katara saw that they were only a few feet behind her. Maybe if she put on a burst of speed she could- her thought was interrupted as her foot caught a tree root and she tipped forward, landing heavily on the ground. She winced as she felt pain blast up her ankle and leg. There was no way she could run. In a few seconds they would have her, she tensed herself and closed her eyes, waiting for the grubby hands to grab her.

But they never came. Instead, Katara felt a blast of heat above her and heard the yelps and cries of the men. She heard them swear and then turn and run.

She felt a warm hand on her ankle and felt her foot slip free of the root. "Are you alright?" A gruff voice inquired as Katara turned over to rub her hurt foot.

"Yeah, it just hurts a bit." She winced as a stab of pain shot through her ankle. The stranger knelt down beside her, his eyes worried. She whimpered slightly as she again felt the pain hit her ankle.

"Here, let me," The man brushed her hands away impatiently but gently. Katara leaned back, grimacing slightly as he carefully slipped off her shoe. His hands were warm and rough but gentle none-the-less. He worked his hand over her foot, checking the bones to see if they were broken. A couple small shots of pain ran through her foot and to take her mind away from the pain her foot, she glanced at his face. The boy couldn't be much older than her brother, maybe by two or three years. His skin was a pale alabaster shade all except for the scar that covered his right eye. It was in the shape of a flame.

"Owch!" Katara yelped as his hands hit a tender spot. The boy muttered a short apology before continuing to check her foot.

"It doesn't look to bad," he finally said, helping her gently to her feet. "I think it's just a sprain, but you should go to a medic to get it checked properly." He wryly added. "Can you put any wait on it?" Gingerly, Katara tested her wait on it and flinched as she felt the pain again.

The man sighed, "Where's your escort?" When she gave him a confused look, he scowled. "You don't have an escort? No wonder you were being chased." He grumbled sourly, but his hand on her back tenderly steadied her. She could feel the leather of his fingerless gloves through her simple dress.

He slipped his arm under her own, and helped her support her wait. "Where to?" he asked. Katara could tell he wasn't happy about helping her, but he was going to anyway.

"The racetrack." She answered. The boy helping her muttered something under his breath, and Katara was sure that it was about her. "You don't have to help me, you know. I can take care of myself." She snapped angrily. She brushed his hand off of her and took a careful step forward, trying to keep most of her wait off her hurt foot. The boy stood still for a moment before he was at her side again. He didn't offer to help this time, only walked beside her, keeping an eye on her.

"Why are you trying to help? You obviously don't want too." Katara muttered. The boy looked at her.

"It's not about me wanting to, it's about my honor." He replied coolly. "I don't let hurt girls just wander around by themselves." He raised his hands and crossed them behind his head, just under his ponytail. Katara scowled.

"I would be better off without you,"

The boy just shrugged. He reached down and flicked a piece of dirt from his leather shirt. Flames bordered the low, jagged cut collar, contrasting against the black that made up the rest of it. The shirt cut off just before his arms, and flames decorated that area too. It was a shirt of the Fire Clan, and the fact she was stuck here, hurt and alone with a boy from that family made her very uneasy. What if he found out she was the daughter of the head of the Water Clan. He would probably kidnap her and take her to his leader. She shivered, that was an unpleasant thought indeed.

Both Katara and the boy remained silent the rest of the way back to the track, except for the occasional hiss of pain from Katara and the soft grumble from the boy when he steadied her. As they turned a corner, the track came in sight, as well as a young boy with a lemur on his shoulder. Katara sighed in relief Aang was back. She didn't want imagine what would happen if the avatar hadn't returned and she was stuck with the sullen boy.

As Aang caught sight of her, he grinned. "Hey Katara, where did you get off too?" he noticed her limp. "Hey are you okay? What happened?" He caught her arm and helped steady her. Katara nodded before turning to the Fire Clan boy.

"Thank you for helping me, I can manage from here." She muttered stiffly. The boy again only just shrugged and his eyes narrowed.

"Glad to be of service." He turned on his heel and melted into the crowd.

"Who was that Katara?" Aang asked, looking up at his friend. She just shook her head.

"I honestly have no idea."

The boy wandered back through the crowd, pushing past people who got in his way. "Zuko!" He turned at the hail.

An old man cam hurrying up, apologizing as he bumped into people, he grinned, panting when he reached the boy. The boy raised a single eyebrow. "Zuko, I've been looking for you everywhere, where did you run off to?"

Zuko was quiet and then "Come on, Uncle." He turned from the man and began to walk through the crowd. The old man huffed and hurried to catch up with his nephew.

"Well, did you at least find any acceptable to wear for your fathers birthday? As son of our Leader, you should at least look, if not act, presentable."

"No, I didn't." came the young man's reply. His uncle just sighed and shook his head, trotting to keep up.

"But, I did find something interesting," the young man said softly. His uncle did not inquire, and he did not elaborate.

(AN: Well, there you go, the first chapter of In Love and War, I'm a bit iffy right now on this story, so we'll just have to wait and see. If anyone has and questions please feel free to ask them in your review, and I'll be sure to post the answer. Thank you all who read this! )


	2. Plans

_(AN: Oh boy, this chapter took a long time to write. I was vacationing in CA during the break, and while I was there I wrote this chapter, and then some. Actually this chapter was going to be so long that I had to cut it down A LOT when I came home and typed it up. Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful April, enjoy the chappie! )_

_Chapter Two: Plans_

Zuko easily dodged the burst of flame an extended arm sent toward him, ducking and then rising to kick his leg into the air. He felt the heat race form his chest through his leg and finally reach his foot as he called upon his bending. Flames shot from his bare foot and licked though the air until they reached the young man's opponent. The other man stumbled back, blocking the flames with crossed arms, but Zuko wheeled and continued the stream through his fists. He loved being in control, loved to be the hunter.

"That's enough Zuko," The flames stopped immediately and Zuko's hands dropped to his sides. The man at the other end of the arena coughed as he dusted the soot from his clothes and then exited. "You're improving." Zuko simply nodded.

"I know, but I need to get better Uncle. I need to get better fast. How can I?" The old man chuckled.

"There's a secret for that Zuko, would you like to know?" His nephew nodded eagerly. Glancing around, the old man beckoned for Zuko to come closer before he cupped his hands around his mouth and whispered; "Lots and lots of… practice." The old man laughed loudly as Zuko pushed away from him angrily.

"You didn't see that on coming, did you Zuko?" The old man chortled. The boy just sent him a sullen glare from where had flopped down on the dusty training room floor in annoyance.

"I see we're all having a good time, aren't we?" The noise in the training room stopped as a tall man with sideburns entered. His large hands were clasped behind his back and he wore self-confident smirk. Zuko from his position on the ground merely gave the man a glare before he turned his face away and gazed at his own leather-clad hands.

"Zhao, to whom do we own this pleasure of seeing you again so soon?" Zuko's uncle greeted the tall man politely.

Not bothering with any greeting in return, Zhao waved his hand impatiently, as if to push aside the greeting before it could reach him. "Iroh, our Lord would like to see you in his conference room right now. He wants to discuss some up coming plans with you." He turned his back on the two and started to leave before he was stopped.

Zuko had stood suddenly, the leather of his pants dusty from the floor of the arena. "What about me?" he asked. "Doesn't Father want to see me too?" His voice was almost pleading, golden eyes full of child like innocence and hope. Iroh turned on his way out of the hall.

"Zuko…" Iroh's voice was soft and sad.

"Our Lord said nothing about you. If you'll excuse me, I must go and find your sister for the meeting." Zhao rolled his eyes as he turned his back on Zuko.

"Wait, maybe he wanted me to go with Uncle. He knew I would be training with him, he knew I would be here."

Iroh sighed, placing a hand over his face. Zhao whirled on the young boy and sent a stream of fire in his direction.

"Do you question what I say? Our Lord asked only for his advisors, his brother and his daughter. He said nothing about a son, especially about a son who can't follow orders. Don't you believe me?" He sneered mockingly as he caught Zuko's look of hurt disbelief. "Maybe you can go find out for yourself, and in response, he can decorate the other side of your face as well."

Something seemed to snap within Zuko and with a roar he flung himself at the older man, his hand bursting into flame. He was stopped, however, when a gentle hand caught his arm. "Zuko, don't." his uncle reprimanded gently.

That was all that needed to be said. The fir in the boy's hand disappeared and his arms fell to his sides, his head hanging in defeat. From across the room Zhao smirked.

"That's a good boy, listen to your uncle." Iroh let go of Zuko and followed the man out of the training hall. He turned just before the big red doors closed behind him and gave Zuko a sad smile.

"Why don't you go into town for awhile? Take the rest of the day off, you earned it." Nothing came from his nephew and so Iroh left, shutting the iron doors behind him with a soft click. Zuko shuddered, barely keeping the dry sob from breaking free of his throat. His legs gave out from under him and he didn't bother to try and catch himself, instead falling heavily to the floor. His hands fisted. H hated that man Zhao, his father's favored friend and advisor. From the moment Zhao had started working for his father, he had made Zuko's life a living hell. His hand reached up to touch his scar. Shame. That was what the scar stood for. Every time he saw his reflection, that burning guilt hit his stomach and Zuko would have to turn away. Sometimes he wished he could escape the confines of his family, his clan, his responsibility, but that would never happen. Not for him.

Azula had once told him hat it was ten times harder to be the daughter of the Fire Lord than the son, and though it had only been meant as comfort, it had haunted Zuko with the opposite effect. If it was so much harder, why had he failed so miserably? Why had Azula managed to become the favored one? Nothing was ever going to be fair in his life.

Zuko groaned and flopped back, his hands covering his face in despair. His life would never get better, he would stay the hated son of the Fire Lord, not able to live happily in his Clan, but never able to leave. The heavy creak of metal doors alerted him he was no longer alone. If he were lucky, who ever had come to train would not see him and then step on him or burn him to relieve him of his life. It would be a nice change, he thought casually. However, fortune did not seem to want to cut him any slack.

"…and the I said to her that she could either stay or get the hell… Zuko?" The voice was young and cheerful, a voice Zuko knew all to well. Sutto, one of Zuko's two closest friends cocked his head at the crumpled body on the floor. He looked up at his companion, a quieter older boy by the name of Akuro.

"Do you think he died?" Sutto asked as he bent over Zuko, bright, round face full of laughter. "Hey, now I finally have a chance to swipe these gloves, I've always loved leather." He skillfully dodged the punch Zuko aimed at his face as he chuckled, his loose brown hair swishing in front of his eyes. "Bummer, he's alive Akuro." He offered Zuko a hand up and Zuko grudgingly accepted it.

"I saw, thank you Sutto." Akuro's voice answered calmly from where he remained by the door.

"Some friend you are," Zuko mumbled to Sutto as he dusted himself off. "Trying to steal my things when I'm down."

"Me? You know you're like a brother to me Zuko," he draped an arm over Zuko's shoulders. "Right Akuro? Tell Zuko how much we love him."

Akuro sent Sutto an incredulous look before smirking at Zuko. "You should have heard him on the way over, he's like two people, going on and on about how much he hates you." Akuro said all this solemnly, but the corner of his lips quirked just so it was enough to prove was joking. Sutto gasped in mock hurt.

"Akuro, you weren't supposed to tell him that! Who will he tell are his deep, dark secrets too now that he won't tell me? I'll lose all my status in the Fire Clan." Sutto pouted.

"He'll tell his secrets to me of course," Akuro answered dryly. "And what status will you lose, you have none in the first place." Akuro brushed back a black piece of hair that had fallen from his topknot. His amber eyes fixed on Zuko and another smirk tugged at his lips. His face was long and lean, matching his tall figure.

Sutto growled in mock hurt at Akuro's comment and shot a stream of flame at Akuro, who neatly dodged one and sent one back. The friends' mock battled for a few minutes, a couple teasing remarks flew at Akuro from Sutto, but each was retaliated by a stronger burst of flame. Zuko was content watching from them from the side. He had known them since he was a child, known them as long as Azula had known Ty Lee and Mei. They had stuck with him when others had turned their backs on him and, along with his uncle they had kept him going.

Flopping to the ground, Sutto held up his hands in defeat. "You win Akuro, you win." He raked his messy hair out of his face and his amber eyes danced in amusement. Sutto was known as a jokester around the Fire Clan, always good-natured and had a smile for any fellow Clan member he ran across. He took insults easily, usually managing to come up with a witty remark in return. He was well liked by most, and though he was happy to be everyone's friend, he preferred his small group of Akuro and Zuko. Speaking of which… Sutto pushed himself off his back, resting his weight on his forearms and his bright gold eyes found the latter of his two friends comfortably sitting cross-legged and adjusting his fingerless gloves.

"So Zuko, why did we come in here to find you seemingly dead?" He cocked his head to the side as he waited for his friend to answer. Zuko didn't reply verbally, only shrugged his shoulders and gladly accepted Akuro's outstretched hand to pull him up.

"Why don't we go into town? I have to rest of the day off." Sutto got up and dusted himself off and Akuro nodded. Nothing more needed to be said.

xXx

Katara carefully made her way down the stair of her home, making sure she watched where she placed her preciously injured foot. It had been a few days since her fall and her sprained ankle was feeling much better. The strange boy had been right, it hadn't been too serious at all. Though Katara was grateful for his help, she couldn't help but be a little miffed at his cold front and rudeness. Maybe it was like her father said; the Fire Clan had arrogance and bad blood in their breeding. However, she did owe the boy for saving her, she had been taught that when she was very young. This kind of debt was big and Katara was unsure how she could repay it, if she ever saw him again, that was.

As Katara reached bottom of the stairs, a bundle of energy came barreling down the hall and nearly knocked her over before she managed to stumble out of the way. "Hey Katara, how's your ankle feeling?" Aang asked as he skidded to a stop. HE grinned and held up his arm for Momo to land on. Katara couldn't help but smile at her young friend's enthusiasm. Aang had quickly become part of her family. His smile and devotion gave him a wonderful younger brother quality that Katara absolutely adored.

"It's feeling better now, thanks Aang. In fact, I was thinking of going into the market to see what they have. I've been gone for so long that they must have changed a couple of things down there." Katara explained as she and Aang walked though the courtyard toward the dining hall. When Katara had been a child, her mother had always insisted on having family breakfasts. When her mother had died, she had Sokka had kept up the tradition.

As they entered the large dinning room, the smells of brewing coffee, hot, sweetened oatmeal and sizzling sausages wafted through the air and filled their noses, making their mouths water. "G'mornen" Sokka barely managed to get out as he drifted by. Sokka had never really been a morning person and in fact, Katara was willing to bet he was still asleep. The only thing that had dragged him out of bed was the sense of tradition… that or food. It was probably the latter Katara decided. Once the food was served, Sokka would lift his head just far enough off the table to shovel breakfast in with out even opening his eyes, and then his head would go back down. A little later, the caffeine would kick in and Sokka would wake up. Until then, Katara knew he would be dead to the world.

Katara and Aang took their seats next to Sokka (who was drooling on the table) and chatted about what they planned to do that day in town. "There's going to be a carnival tomorrow, we should all go, don't you think?" Aang chirped to both Katara and her brother. From Katara he got a nod and from Sokka he got incomprehensible gibberish.

At the end of the hall, the huge blue doors swung open and Katara's father strode in. His long beard was tucked into his belt and a bright smile split his face. The wrinkles around his eyes were more crinkled that usual in his excitement and his clear blue eyes sparkled out into the room. "Katara, I hoped I would find you here. Last night I realized that you have been gone so long that I am sure none of the Water Clan outside or our family can recognize you. I had a brilliant idea, why don't we hold you a formal welcome home ball? It can be instead of your coming of age ceremony since we missed that while you were at school. How does that sound?" Aang's grey eyes widened.

"Wow Katara, that sounds like a lot of fun, huh Sokka?" He nudged Sokka, still face down on the table who mumbled something about flying pigs and someone named Suki.

"What do you think, Katara?" her father asked again gently.

"That sounds wonderful, thank you so much." Katara nearly turned over her chair in her scramble to hug her father. Her father chuckled and patted her back.

"I'm glad you think so, it is decided then, it shall be held in three days time, the eighth day of the fifth month, does that sound acceptable?" Katara nodded eagerly. "Good, then you should take today to go and pick out an appropriate gown, I shall send a maid with you, since Sokka, Aang and I can not go with you. Come to my office after breakfast and I shall have enough money for your purchase." He smiled again at his excited daughter before he gave a nod to Aang and pat on the back to the sleeping Sokka and left the dining hall.

"Wow Katara, that sounds like a lot of fun. Hey, I'm sure I can join you in market and help you choose a nice gown." He offered as he bit into a piece of his toast. Katara shook her head smiling.

"Sorry Aang, but it's a tradition that no one can see the gown of the lady before the ball. Usually my mother would help out, but seeing as she died a long time ago…" Katara trailed off and busied herself with blowing on her steaming oatmeal.

"Oh… I'm sorry…" Aang murmured awkwardly "But," he brightened, "I'm sure whatever you choose will look beautiful on you." Aang blushed as he looked down at his toast.

"Aww, Aang, you're so sweet." Katara giggled softly before she took a sip of her coffee. She was truly lucky to have such a sweet friend.

Their conversation through breakfast ranged over the topic of the Fire Clan's heirs ("Both of them spoiled brats, evil just like the rest of their clan," Sokka had woken up,) to the art and movement of Water Bending, a topic Katara absolutely loved. As the time struck ten, announced by the chiming of bells in the courtyard, Katara rose from her seat and gave a wave to Sokka and Aang, who had returned to the topic of the Fire Clan and were deep in conversation, and left for her father's office.

Katara wondered vaguely which maid would be helping her out as she skipped down the light, airy halls. When she had been young, there had been an older woman who had helped Katara's mother take care of her, but upon her return from school, Katara had found out that woman no longer worked for her father. Katara reached the large door and knocked once before she entered. Though she had not often been in her father's office as a child, she had fallen in love with it the few times she had. The room though small was comfortable. A large plush carpet layered the stone floor and the walls were a deep blue. In the back of the room was a large desk, at which her father now sat. Beside him was a young woman dressed in green robes who looked about Sokka's age. Her short brown hair just reached her shoulders and though her face was pale, her cinnamon eyes were full of life.

"There you are my dear. This is Suki; she shall help you choose a gown that will be appropriate. This is for your gown," He pulled out a small bag full of coins, which jiggled merrily as they were passed between hands. Katara glanced at Suki, who gave her a smile, though it was small.

"Let's go, the market is going to get crowded soon." Katara said goodbye to her father and Suki followed her out of the room. They walked down the halls, Suki keeping slightly behind Katara until they reached the main gates. As they left the house, Katara heard the pit-pat of Suki's feet as she trotted a couple steps so she was walking next to her.

"It's nice to meet you Katara," Suki smiled and her brown eyes crinkled at the corners. She obviously had no problem with having herself heard Katara noticed. "Sokka has told me all about you, and he couldn't stop talking about you coming home again. It was all he could think about. I'm glad to finally meet you for myself." Katara raised her eyebrows.

"You seem to talk to my brother a lot. When was that?" she asked.

Suki's eyes widened for a second as if she had just realized what she had said. "Oh, you know… in passing?" She tried weakly. Katara couldn't help but giggle as Suki blushed and Suki laughed a bit too. "I suppose I shouldn't actually spend so much time with him?" Suki murmured softly looking away from Katara.

"No, I think it's fine, Sokka needs a good friend." Suki looked up at her and inspected her for a minute and then smiled.

"Yeah, we're good friends, he and I. I'm glad you feel it's alright."

The two girls continued to chat as they strolled through the town square. The shops were already open and the owners were discussing on where their next shipment was coming from and what they expected the weather to be like that day. The small shop that Katara and Suki stopped at was titled 'Gowns for All Occasions', the letters sketched in a light blue-purple color against the store front that was a deep dark purple that stood out beside all the light yellow or white houses and stores around it. The little the girls could see through the window was purple as well.

Suki glanced at the shop front for only a moment before she strode up and pulled open the door (which was the same color as the rest of the walls) and she and Katara stepped into the shop. A bell tinkled softly over the door as they stepped inside and Katara stopped in surprise. Everything in the shop was purple. Pastel purple silks hung from the ceiling, covering the lights so that the shop almost glowed. The curtains that kept the light from coming through the window were deep velvet and were the darkest purple imaginable. The walls were lavender and the soft carpet was a light lilac. Another set of curtains was hung in front of a door in the back these were a deep pink-purple. Even the air around them was slightly purple, the smoke from the burning incense placed all around the shop wafted in translucent purple waves around them and the sent of lilac filled the small shop.

"Someone likes purple." Suki stated simply as she and Katara looked around the shop somewhat skeptically.

"I think that's putting it mildly," Katara whispered. She had never seen so much of one color in her life.

"Good morning ladies, may I be of assistance?" A voice floated over the air just like the smoke and a woman emerged from behind the curtains covering the doors. Her long black hair had been pulled up and styled into loops that hung delicately from her head. Her face was pale and though she was obviously much older than either Suki or Katara, there was not a wrinkle upon her skin and she was quite beautiful. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of green that reminded Katara of emeralds and were large, giving off the appearance of a frightened doe. Her gown, like everything else in the shop was purple. It was simple and fell gently down the woman's figure, the cloth folding into itself in a couple of places. The two girls nodded dumbly.

"I," the woman continued softly as she glided towards them, "am Yachi, seamstress of gowns. That is what you two are looking for, am I correct?" Each step she took seemed to be carefully planed ahead of time and instead of walking a normal person would, she seemed to glide as if on water.

"Uh, yes, I need a gown," Katara said meekly at last find her voice, "but it can't be purple. If that's all you have that's okay and we can go somewhere else."

Yachi laughed softly, the laugh resembled the tinkling of a small fountain. "Of course my dear, you don't honestly think I would sell gowns of only one color do you? Oh no, no, I sell many colors, there is more to life than just the color purple you know."

"You don't say," Suki muttered under her breath but hid it as a cough as Yachi's emerald eyes fixed on her.

"Why yes my dear, there is for instance blue and red and green. And then there is lilac, lavender, amethyst, violet, grape, orchid, plum, pansy and we can't forget mulberry now can we?" she laughed softly again.

Suki opened her mouth to tell Yachi that except for blue, red and green, the colors she had named were all shades of purple, but Katara caught her eye and shook her head.

"Now my dear, what color of gown are you looking for?" Yachi asked as she began shepherding Katara to the back room

"Blue, thank you," Katara answered before she was gone with Yachi. Suki looked around and decided to amuse herself by counting all the shades of purple that were in the shop. This was going to take a while.

"What about this one?" Katara stepped out from behind the purple curtains and gave a small twirl of Suki to inspect the new gown.

"It's all right, but you'll trip and fall on the train coming down the stairs, and it doesn't really fit your figure." Suki finally said truthfully after she had looked Katara up and down. "Not a bad color though."

"Yeah," Katara let her hands fall to her sides and sighed. "I though you would say something like that, but I do like the color, I'm glad you think so too."

Yachi slipped out from behind the curtains and looked Katara over once. "So, what do we think?" She asked in her musical voice.

"A bit too long and a bit too wide," Katara held up her arms and turned once for Yachi before she slipped back to change into her other clothes.

"But she does like the color," Suki added quickly.

Yachi placed a thin hand on her forehead in distress. "Oh dear, I'm afraid I don't have anymore gowns in blue. Could I interest you in green, or red, or possible purple?" She looked hopeful but Suki shook her head. "No? Well I'm terrible sorry, but I'm afraid I can not fit your needs," she whimpered as her green eyes filled with tears. "I must not be the seamstress I once was."

"It's okay really," Katara hurried back out to sooth the upset woman. "You have lovely gowns, they just aren't what I'm really looking for, and especially for the formal ball that I need the gown for." She added.

Yachi's tearful eyes found her. "What kind of ball would that be, dear?" A long finger wiped a tear away from her cheek.

"It's a homecoming party. Katara's the heir to the Water Clan and she's only returned recently from school." Suki cut in as she waved away a puff of smoke that was threatening to float down her throat.

Yachi's large eyes grew even wider. "This is lady Katara? Oh my dear if I had only known I would have cleaned up a bit more around here. Oh and I am an absolute wreck today. My lady, I had no idea that it was you. Welcome home, dear, welcome home." She gave Katara a gentle graceful bow.

"Thank you," Katara murmured, slightly embarrassed about Yachi's reaction. "It's good to be home, but if you don't mind, we do have to find a gown, if you'll excuse us…" Suki gave Yachi a polite bow before she turned to follow Katara out of the shop when a thin voice drifted after them.

"Wait… I may have one more gown…"

The afternoon sun was hot and just beginning to descend in the western sky as Katara and Suki left Yachi's shop, thanking the woman on the way out. "Nice lady, nice gowns, thought I would go blind from all the purple." Suki summed out as they began to head back into the main area of the town, Katara's small package tucked neatly under her arm. Katara laughed in agreement, she had to admit that it was nice to breath fresh air again, the incense had given he a headache. She sighed contentedly, she loved being home and she felt so comfortable around Suki, he would make a nice friend Katara thought idly. She fished into her pocket and pulled out the small bag of coins her father had given her, the few coins remaining clinked together happily.

"We have a lot of time before we head home," She dropped a couple of the coins into Suki's hands. "I'm going to go check out the shops, you go and enjoy yourself, and we can meet back here in say, an hour?"

"Sounds good," Suki grinned, "Thanks," she added as she skipped off to a small market stall. Katara watched her go with a smile, and then headed off on her own. She hadn't had the chance to really get to know the town again since her return and she was glad for the opportunity. As she walked through she found old shops of her childhood memories that she hadn't thought about in years.

There was the bakery her mother used to take her to. They sold the best cookies Katara had ever tasted. Over there was a small bookstore. Katara remembered how most of the shelves were empty and filled with dust but the few books they did have had sparked her imagination and tickled her sense. And far off toward the edge of was the blacksmith. The ring of metal and smell of iron smoke wafted through her memories.

She spent her time ducking into the shops and chatting with the storeowners until she felt her stomach growl. She hadn't eaten since breakfast and as she stepped out of the small clothing store she had wandered into, she spied a cart of apples across the street. The amount of coins she had would be just the right amount for one of the tasty treats. She quickly darted over, barely noticing that someone else was also at the stall before her eyes roamed over the selection. They all looked so good, but there was one that sat on top if the pile, bright red and the light hit it just so… her hand darted out to take it just as someone else's did. As her hand clutched the apple, a hand in fingerless gloves landed over hers. She looked at the hand covering hers for a moment before she looked up and met bright amber eyes, the right of which was covered with a flame shaped scar. They both jumped back at the same time.

"You're the guy with the bad attitude,"  
"You're the clumsy girl who tripped,"

They looked at each other for another moment and then Katara looked back at the apple.

"Did you want…?"

"No, no you go ahead and have it." The boy turned away with a huff as Katara paid for her treat.

"Wait." She called after him as he started to leave.

"What?" He turned back, his face annoyed but his eyes curious.

"Well, I suppose I should thank you for helping me out earlier. If you hadn't, I don't know what those men might have done." Katara admitted softly.

The boy just shrugged. "It was no problem really," he paused, facing away from her, but looking at her from the corner of his eye. "Katara right? Is that what that kid called you?" He asked finally.

"Yeah, Katara. You?" She asked as she offered her hand.

"Zuko." He replied and clasped her extended her extended hand in his own. As he shook her hand up and down, Katara noticed how good the leather felt against her skin. It was a new and strange texture; no one in the Water Clan wore leather, preferring the soft, flowing silk that allowed more freedom of movement, not the restriction that came with leather. However, Katara found she liked the feeling and as Zuko dropped her hand, she felt her hand following his to feel the leather again, as she realized this, she quickly pulled her hand back to her side.

There was another awkward pause and Katara suddenly remembered her debt she owed him. How was she going to pay it off to him? She clutched her apple.

"Zuko!" Katara looked over the boy's shoulder to see what seemed to be his friends hurrying over. The one in the lead looked slightly younger than Zuko and had a rounder face. His eyes were the same shade as Zuko's, fiery amber. He, like Zuko, wore leather too, but the style was different. His top had long sleeves that stopped just below his wrists and was a tawny brown. The second boy seemed like Zuko's age or a little older. A topknot had restricted his dark hair and the few strands that had slipped free hung over his eyes. His shirt was like Zuko's, sleeveless but it the collar did not drop as Zuko's did and flames did not dance over it in the design Zuko's had.

"Zuko," The first boy repeated, skidding to a stop in front of his friend. "We thought that you had gotten lost, and the kidnapped and then killed!" He panted, amber eyes looking up at Zuko through his brown hair. Zuko raised an eyebrow and looked at the other boy for confirmation. The other boy rolled his eyes.

"No, he means that he didn't know where you went and decided to overreact, as usual." He clarified.

The first boy whirled on the second. "I do not overreact, Akuro. I just have a very vivid imagination. You wouldn't know of course, you have none what so ever." Akuro smirked at the shorter boy, not bothering to reply.

Katara noticed that through out the encounter between friends, Zuko stayed quiet, but a small smile tugged at the edge of his lips as he watched his two friends bicker.

"Anyway Zuko," The younger boy had returned his attention to questioning his friend. "Why did you wander off this time?"

Zuko shrugged like he normally did when he wasn't in the mood to answer. The leather of his shirt tightened over his chest as he did so, and Katara couldn't help but notice the taut muscles underneath. "I was hungry, and you were too busy to notice when I left." Akuro pointed to the smaller boy.

"I noticed, Sutto didn't."

"You noticed and you let me get all worked up?" Sutto snapped at Akuro. "What kind of friend are you?"

"The same as the kind who doesn't notice when their good friends wander off."

There was a pause and then, "Touché." Sutto mumbled under his breath.

Katara shifted uncomfortably. She should leave now, but it seemed rude to slip away without saying goodbye to Zuko who she had been talking to. As she made the small movement, Akuro's eyes caught it and his gaze slipped from Sutto to her, cocking his head slightly to the left to see around Zuko. Noticing he was no longer the center of Akuro's attention, Sutto followed his gaze and found Katara as well.

"What's this?" He purred as he pushed past Zuko and towered over Katara inspecting her. He, like Zuko, was about a head taller than she was, and she had to tilt her head back to look up at him, especially since he was at such a close proximity. His amber eyes glimmered down at her as he inspected her, eyebrows turning down slightly and mouth drawing back into an unfriendly smirk. "Well, well, looks like a little Water Clan wench on our hands. What's she doing here Zuko?"

Zuko stepped between Katara and Sutto. "I helped her out the other day, and she was just here to apologize. Nothing more Sutto."

Sutto was silent for a moment as he looked from Zuko to Katara and then he smiled. "Well then," The gruff tone had left his voice, replaced by the teasing tone he had used with Akuro. "If Zuko's okay with it, so am I, you must be growing up, you never would have done this a while back." Akuro nodded from behind Sutto, who playfully bopped Zuko on the head, (who cursed and swiped at him,) before he looked Katara over again. "I hope you thank Zuko properly, it's not every day he goes out of his way to help people you know." He smirked Katara a nod and then turned and headed back to Akuro, who seemed to have lost interest in Katara. Zuko gave Katara a stiff nod and began to follow his friends. Katara swallowed, this could be the last time she saw Zuko and she was still indebted to him. She looked down at her hand and found she was still tightly clutching the apple both she and Zuko had wanted.

"Wait," Katara called to Zuko for the second time that day. All three friends turned back toward her, Zuko's single eyebrow raised in a question. Katara's feet pounded the down the road to catch up with Zuko, and when she reached him she grabbed his hand and pressed the apple into his palm. "There, now we're even, I owe you nothing now." If it was possible, Zuko's eyebrow climbed higher on his head as Katara turned and hurried off back up the street.

The three friends stared after her for a moment, Zuko's hand still holding the apple out in front of him. Sutto, being the first to recover from the strange behavior of the Water Clan girl, sauntered back toward Zuko, took the apple, polished it on his shirt and then took a bite. He looked back up to find Zuko glaring at him, his hand now only clutching air. "What?" he asked innocently, "I'm hungry."

He barely managed to tumble out of the way as Zuko shot a torrent of flames at him. Akuro looked on amused for a second and then turned away and began to leave his two friends to fight, blissfully ignoring Sutto's pleas for help.

(As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to review and ask me, and I'll make sure to post the answers with the next chapter.

-cookiesandmilk)


End file.
