Zutara Fanfic : Unexpected Protector
Title: Unexpected Protector
Author: Zutara_fan_14 on , also known as MmStormer
Rating: K
Word Count: 830
Parings: Li/Katara, Blue Spirit/Katara, Zuko/Katara
Summery: Katara and her friends are in Ba Sing Se. Aang is helping the zoo keeper, Toph is helping construct buildings, and Sokka was sleeping. So Katara was on her own. She decided to find a job, since they were in need of money for when they started traveling again. But when Katara gets into trouble, she finds out that she has an unexpected protector that she has come to like.
Chapter #1: Job Hunt
Katara and her friends are in Ba Sing Se. Aang is helping the zoo keeper, Toph is helping construct buildings, and Sokka was sleeping. So Katara was on her own. She decided to find a job, since they were in need of money for when they started traveling again.
Katara has walked all day looking for a job, but to no success. Spotting a little cozy tea shop, called the Jasmine Dragon. Walking in, she sat down tiredly and waited for the waiter to come over. With her eyes closed, she leaned back in the chair. A sigh escaped her lips as she in-hailed the many different aromas of tea that filled the air.
"Hello," said a kind old man. He looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place his face with a name at the moment. "Would you like some tea, Miss? You look quite exhausted."
I nodded my head in reply and asked, "What is the house special?"
"Jasmine tea, Miss." The old man replied. She couldn't but help but look at his eyes and see...she was taken aback when she saw they were...GOLDEN!
The old man saw her fright and told her, reassuringly, "Me and my nephew are refugees, such as yourself, Miss. There's no need for alarm. Sh...It's okay. We won't hurt you. We just want to start a new life."
From behind the counter, in the shadows, the old man's nephew watched. 'That waterbender! Great! She's sure to give us away as soon as she leaves the shop! Uhg!' he thought as he watched her settle back down in her seat.
His uncle came to meet his nephew and told him, "It's okay. I explained every-"
"You did what!?! She could alert the authorities of who we are! We'll be either tortured or killed!" Zuko yelled.
"Now, now, Zuko. Why are you yelling at me? I just told her that we were refugees. Now, let me deliver her order, or she'll defiantly throw a fit if she sees you." Uncle Iroh told his nephew and walked off carrying a tray with a pot of jasmine tea and a cup.
Zuko sighed, 'I'll have to follow her after she leaves to make sure that she doesn't gibe us away.' he told himself.
Iroh walked over to where the familiar waterender was seated. Setting down the tray he asked, "Why are you so tired, Miss-?"
"Katara." She told him. "I've been looking for a job. Me and my friends will be needing some money when we start on our travels again; and I'm the only one that can work for money; and every place I've gone says they don't need any help. I was wondering if I could work here. Maybe wash-"
"Yes, I have a job for you, Miss Katara. You can help us serve tea. There's only me and my nephew to run this little place and it can get hard at times. We'd love your help."
"Thank you, Mr-"
"Just call me Uncle." He said with a smile.
"Okay. Thank you, Uncle. We are very grateful of your kindness. What would you like me to do?"
"Right now, I just want you to drink your tea. We'll start tomorrow, okay?" Uncle Iroh told Katara with a kind smile.
She smiled back and told him, "Thank you, Uncle."
Zuko couldn't but help to hear the conversation between his uncle and the waterbender. 'Why'd he offer a job? We already have a crazy kid, Jet, trying to prove we're firebenders!
Why would she be any different?' Zuko shook his head. 'I'm going to have to keep a close eye on her.'
His uncle came back behind the counter and told his nephew the splendid news, " I hired Miss Katara to work here. She and her friends are in need of money, and she's the only one that can work for it-according to laws here. I just couldn't turn that poor girl down, not when I could help her."
"Uncle, she's the avatar's friend! They're probably being waited on by the Earth King at this very moment!
Sokka was sleeping on his bed in his room. Toph was constructing a house in the 2nd ring. And Aang was feeding the animals, while Appa & Momo were sleeping next to each other.
"They might not be, nephew. You know that they might actually be in need of money! Even we ran into that problem!" Uncle Iroh told his nephew.
Zuko sighed in defeat. "Okay, Uncle. But, she might turn us in, nevertheless. I'm going to keep an eye on her."
"If that makes you feel any better, nephew." Iroh sighed. Maybe he'll come to like her. Zuko needs someone like her. He's never liked a girl, except his mother, Ursa, who vanished when he was very young. Sighing again, Iroh went back to make tea while his nephew kept his face diverted from Katara as he served tea.