"I must pack immediately." Iroh rose, heading towards the back rooms of the shop.

"Wait, what?" Katara asked. "I don't understand!" Everyone was now off of the ground, giving confused looks to the elderly man and each other. Even Zuko abandoned the corner in which he was brooding in and stood behind Katara, still quiet however.

"I don't have time to explain, but I have a solution for our problem. I just have to go talk to some acquaintances to verify it." With that Iroh continues through the oaken door. However, just before the doors swung shut he added, "Oh, and Zuko, take care of the tea shop! I'm expecting a shipment of fine china in a few days; they're very fragile!"

Everyone stood in shocked silence. "Does anyone understand what just happened here?" Sokka asked. No one even bothered to answer, but Katara ran out of the tea shop after Iroh, wondering what in the world was going on. There had to be a reason Iroh was traveling all the way to the Fire Nation so suddenly. She caught up to him fairly quickly.

"Iroh, what is going on?" she demanded. Iroh stopped walking to answer her question.

"If I have remembered correctly, then what Sokka suggested about pulling a random person off the street will work… sort of. So I must contact some important people immediately."

"Wait. So you're saying that Zuko might not have to be Fire Lord?"

"That would be correct." He said, with a smile in his voice.

"Well, that's great!" Katara was now smiling as well. "I'm going to tell the others!" With that Katara walked back inside the tea shop and Iroh continued on his mission.

The group in the tea shop was silent as Katara walked back inside.

"Iroh thinks he's found a solution so that Zuko won't have to be Fire Lord." She told them happily. She still believed that Zuko should become Fire Lord, but right now the world didn't need a leader that wasn't willing to help.

"That's great!" The gang chorused enthusiastically. Zuko was smiling and had busied himself straightening up the tea shop in his uncle's absence.

Aang walked through the door to the tea shop then. He glanced at the happy group.

"Aang!" Katara ran over to him, her arms spread unconsciously to smother him in her maternal instincts. However, once she remembered the awkward scene in the garden, they lowered stiffly and her face flushed. He noticed this and wiped the imaginary dust off his boots.

"Twinkle Toes! Where were you!" Toph joined the two, the others of the group trailing behind her.

"We were so worried!" Suki added.

"Sorry guys, just needed some air." He gave a weak laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "It's been so crazy this last year- I just need to have some time to think clearly."

"Why don't you tell us that next time?" Sokka rolled his eyes as he continued, "We thought it was serious." Aang gave another weak laugh.

"You feeling alright?" Zuko asked genuinely concerned.

"Stomachache; I'm fine." Aang said coolly, giving Zuko a slight grimace. The group figured it was because of his suppose illness, however Katara knew the true nature of Aang's attitude. Jealousy.

The group slowly returned to their sitting place, and a diluted version of the previous blissful atmosphere returned. Katara and Aang sat on opposite sides, less animated than usual. Both took precaution not to look at one another, however when such event took place they jolted their heads away awkwardly. The rest of the group was too caught up in their conversations to notice, only Zuko, when he was finished with chores, was aware of the discomfort, but he was smart enough not to mention it.

"So, whadya gonna do now, Zuko? Now that you're free from being Fire Lord?" Toph asked. The group ended their conversations and focused on Zuko. He thought for a second and opened his mouth to answer before Aang interrupted.

"Wait, what? Did I miss something."

"Oh, we forgot to catch Aang up." Sokka patted him on the back and spoke quickly, "We all regrouped, with an exception of you, talked a bit until Katara became pissy, I came up with a genius solution, Iroh ran off to his contacts. Basically, we can find some other guy to become Fire Lord. Now back to Zuko."

Heads spun back to the Firebender, eagerly waiting for his response.

"I never thought about it before…" He paused to think for another moment, "I suppose I want to raise a family and have an ordinary job… like a farmer? Or maybe a… vender?"

"Psshhhhh… Zuko the Farmer? I'm sorry, that's hilarious!" Toph fell backwards from laughing. Aang started laughing as well, only it wasn't normal; his laugh sounded menacing. Nobody noticed, nobody, except Zuko. Then Zuko was on his feet, the calm he had had moments ago fleeing at the sign of being ridiculed once more.

"Do you have a problem Avatar?" Zuko asked threateningly. Then Aang stood as well.

"Yes, I do." He said matter of factly. A gust of wind knocked Zuko out one of the windows. Aang jumped out the window after him, staff in hand. He landed lightly on his feet.

Zuko was ready for him then, blasting fire at Aang, which was redirected by air.

"What's your problem!" Zuko yelled at Aang honestly confused.

"What's your problem!"Aang yelled back before blasting Zuko with another gust of air. Zuko began shooting fireballs at Aang, which Aang kept evading with his Airbending. Aang led Zuko towards the fountain, while Zuko shot several more fireballs at him. Once there Aang created a water whip; it lashed out at Zuko, almost hitting him. The rest of the gang had appeared on the porch to watch as the two fought.

Zuko formed a fire whip striking back at Aang, whom created a shield out of the water. As the battle intensified water suddenly snagged Zuko's arms, controlling him temporarily. Meanwhile Aang was trapped in a rock cage when he made the mistake of touching the ground.

"What has gotten into you! You should both be ashamed!" Katara yelled, before letting Zuko go. Toph had caged Aang and stood ready to trap him again should he use his Earth bending to escape. There was no way he could beat her, even if though he was the Avatar. Katara glanced in Aang's direction before stalking back into the Jasmine Dragon.

"Nice move Twinkle Toes, I suggest you stay in there and meditate or something." Toph said before turning away. "Oh yeah, don't try to get out until I let you. I'll know." She shifted the earth threateningly. Everyone else followed her inside.

"Should we really be leaving him out like that?" Katara asked when they were all inside. "Seriously, it's getting pretty dark and there could be bandits or murders out…"

"Katara, this is the upper ring of Ba Sing Se. The only thing he has to worry about is some wrinkly cougar hitting on him." Sokka rebuked, propping his bare feet against a bar stool. Zuko slapped them away and opened his mouth to scold him when Katara spoke out again.

"I know that, but still…" She glanced back at the door.

"If you're so worried about your boyfriend why don't you go check on him?" Zuko shouted. He got up and stomped to the backrooms.

"What? Zuko, wait!" Katara glanced around, however Zuko gave no notion of acknowledgement as he slammed the door behind him. Katara huffed out a few muttered insults and followed behind him, fists clenched.

"Why is everyone being so dramatic? What's wrong with you people?" Toph shouted behind them.

"Zuko open the door!" Katara yelled. There was no reply. "You are so….rude!" Katara began, yelling at the door, "I have no idea why Iroh would even try to help you!" Suddenly a wall of earth shot up behind Katara sealing the space so that no one in the front could hear them.

"That's so much better!" Toph said happily. "I couldn't take Sugar Queen's shouting anymore." Everyone laughed at that and Momo uncovered his ears. He had previously been cowering in the corner with his paws pulling his long ears down.

Zuko was trying to meditate with his ominous circle of candles, but he found he couldn't concentrate with her yelling like that. Suddenly the candles flared up as something she said ticked him off. Standing up, he flung the door open, letting it crashed into the wall with a thud.

"What?" Zuko said as he faced Katara, who was still angry.

"Why do you care?" she yelled in his face, raising her hand in the air exasperatedly.

Making an attempt at control Zuko said calmly, "I'm sorry I don't follow you."

Katara forced herself to take it down a notch to just an angry voice but not yelling. "Why do you care if Aang is my boyfriend? And what was that fight about?" Zuko sighed, looking down, the two questions he couldn't answer.

"One, I don't care and I have no idea what that fight was. If you want to know so bad go ask him." Zuko turned to go back inside the room.

"Wait." Katara reached out to grab his arm. "Just so we're clear, Aang's not my boyfriend."

"He's not?"

Katara let go of his arm and took a deep breath. "No." Zuko closed his eyes for a moment just standing there. Then he turned back to face her.

"Do you wish he was?"

"What? NO!" Katara said, looking up sharply. "Are you crazy?"

"No." He answered with a laugh to his voice. "Come on Katara, everyone thinks you're together or something like that."

"Well, we're not."

They both stood there unsure of what to do then. Katara looked at the wall of earth that blocked the passage, wishing she could hit Toph with a water whip right then. She shifted nervously, looking around. There was so much left unsaid and the silence was terrible.

"Katara…." He paused, as her gaze focused back on him."Katara why did you come looking for me today?"

"Everyone was worried and no one would go, so I did." She told him, although that was only half true. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Their eyes met and they leaned in. Then they were kissing, although neither knew why or how. And then it was over, Zuko pulled back and retreated into his room, shutting the door. Toph pulled down the earth wall then and Katara walked past everyone and outside, with Toph following her.

"Alright Twinkle Toes, times up." Toph said, bring the earth cage walls down. Aang stood, picked up his glider and took off. Katara sat at the fountain listening to the water. Toph went back inside and everyone began to head off to their own rooms.

"Come on Katara." She looked up to see Sokka standing there. He looked concerned and that was so not what she needed right now. "You should come in now, everyone's going to bed." She stood and followed Sokka inside.

The following morning.

Everyone sat in the tea shop again, eating breakfast.

"Katara can I talk to you?" Zuko asked, just walking up to join them. She sighed, there was really no way around it.

"Sure" she followed him to a corner of the tea shop.

"About last night…"He started. She stopped him, looking down.

"Zuko I had a really confusing day yesterday, but I…." She paused and looked up. "I like you." She said finally. She had said it and now she would probably regret it. To her surprise he was just smiling.

"You took the words right out of my mouth." They ended up kissing again, right in front of everybody. Sokka looked like he wanted to kill someone. Toph was clapping, slowly while smirking. Aang stood and walked out of the tea shop. Everyone else seemed accepting and resumed to their meals as if nothing happened.

Sokka watches Aang walk outside and follows him. He knew when his best friend was upset, and right now Aang was giving off all the signals. Aang was sitting on the middle of the fountain, his head resting in his palms.

"Aang!" Sokka shouted. He gave him no response, not a notion of acknowledgement. Sokka called for him once more, earning the same response, which was none. He rolled up his pant legs and waded towards the air bender. Sokka shivered as he walked with difficulty.

"Aang!" Sokka shouted, splashed him. This got his attention.

"Wha? What do you want, Sokka?"

"Do you think you can move over a bit?" No response. Continued scowl. Sokka shivered as he hitched up his pants. "Well, I suppose the group will start pairing off as well. I guess Momo and Appa will be the next new thing. Yesh… imagine their children."

"Yeah, except they're GUYS." Aang huffed. "If that's all you have to say then leave me alone."

"Listen, I know you are upset about Katara. You really liked her and it must be tough to see her with someone else."

"How would you understand? I lost the girl I like to a guy who kidnapped her on more than one occasion!" Aang said, turning from him.

"True, but he's a different person now. I mean he's lost the ponytail!" Aang gave him no response.

"Hey, my first crush became the moon! At least yours will be alive and happy!"

Aang slowly turned around, sighing. "I guess so…. I guess I just always thought that she felt more for me than that."

Sokka nodded. "So can we go back inside now, I can't feel my legs."

Aang laughed and helped Sokka out of the fountain. The two walked inside, ending a very long conflict.


Lusa: Six days! This is a first; I have never written a chapter in six days. Of course I didn't write it alone, but I think a collab is, overall, more difficult to put out than a solo piece. Anywhoooo, thanks for reading and please review, even if you hate it.

Tori: So excited! We are actually finished with the prologue! I love this story and I'm really excited about writing the rest of it. Hopefully it will be up soon. oh yes, please tell me what you think of our small fight scene. I wrote it and would like to know how i can improve! Thanks for reading!