Positive reviews are pretty much the yes/no to if I'm writing more or not. You want more, tell me. And tell me fast. I occasionally abandon stories, so I'll be leaving every single chapter I add as a could-be conclusion. If you want to see more, please just let me know. Any advice or anything you want to share is more than welcomed. Soooo let me know? Every chapter has a possibility of being the final chapter and the end of the story.

I don't own Avatar, of course. But I did use the Avatar Wiki to check out my sources, thank you Avatar wiki. So everything should be accurate. Anything I didn't know I made up. :3 Enjoy.


"Some former Southern Water Tribe members are planning on heading back" Master Pakku breathed with a small smile. "They are still fearful of an attack, but with the Fire Lord himself here and betrothed to Katara, they feel safe enough to head to their homes. There are more than you think - they came to our walls for protection long ago." He turned his gaze to another. "How is the Fire Nation?"

"The word has not spread very far yet. Only those within the high circles know. Mai is devastated, Zuko had not told her first. She is livid, but many are simply confused. They want to hear the words from the Fire Lord. We will have to move them soon" Piandao stated simply. "He will need to make the announcement."

"And the Earth Kingdom?"

"Aang is doing a splendid job!" King Bumi grinned. "Not many people are unwilling to hear from the Avatar. Minor tyrants are doing time - towns are slowly being freed thanks to him and his friends." Pakku nodded, addressing all of them.

"That is good, everything is falling into place. Only a few short weeks ago, my own people were talking of a Fire Nation invasion. Now, they are talking about moving home." He paused for a moment, sipping his tea thoughtfully. "The arrangement itself, however good it may be, I am still uncertain about it. It is not their path."

Iroh chuckled warmly. "There's where you're wrong, friend, it is their path." His voice was filled with a soft kind of joy that the others did not know exactly what to make of it.

Arranged marriages weren't a thing of the past, no. They still happened, they were still very common, but not as much in the Southern Water Tribe, where she had come from. It was more common within royalty and other nobility. It was not something she had expected for herself - everyone who knew her knew that Katara was far too strong to let someone dictate her future.

But here she was, sitting in her room with a letter that Aang had sent this morning, betrothed to Zuko. She didn't have the heart to read it until now. She had only read the first few lines. 'Katara. I hope you and Zuko are doing well, and I hope your marriage turns out for the best. A few people in the Earth Kingdom have heard, and it seems to be working. Everyone knew how divided your people were, and seeing you come together is a sign of hope. But I still miss yo-'

She had stopped reading, she didn't want to read about how Aang was so happy or her but missed her. She didn't want to read the woes of her ex-boyfriend. She let the sun set and a chill filled her room, she bit her tongue and finally, finally, continued reading.

'I have great news, Katara! We found a small group of Air Nomads who have been hiding from the war, some of them are even Air Benders!' Her heart almost shuddered to a stop for a moment, and she reread the lines just to be sure. 'The people of the Western Air Temple knew that the Fire Nation was coming. Some of them were able to escape in time, the Fire Nation had a hard time finding it. It's the only reason they were able to get away. Katara, you have no idea how happy this makes me. I'm not the only Airbender anymore! There are about thirty of them living in a small settlement, I plan on bringing them back to the Air Temples. I'm teaching the children to Airbend. I can't wait to see you, neither can Suki, Sokka, and Toph. Once we get to the Air Temple, I want you to meet them. I'll send Appa to bring the two of you here. It should take us a few more weeks.'

Katara felt like her heart was skipping beats, it was thumping at an odd tone and even though it was late she sprung to her feet and darted into Zuko's room, sliding into his room and tossing herself on his bed. Landing on her knees a foot away from his stomach. "Zuko!" She breathed. "Aang has wonderful news!"

Groggily Zuko sat up, peering at her through hazy eyes. When her words registered he felt a small spark of panic, had Aang found a way out of the marriage?

She pointed out the letter and he read, his eyes widening as he sat up fully. "This is amazing" He breathed. So the Fire Nation had failed when they had been sure their operation had been completely silent. There were Airbenders. He didn't know what to say when she hugged him, which ended up in her pinning him to the bed.

Embarrassed, she sat up and reread the letter. Sokka had written about their progress in the Earth Kingdom and Suki had written greetings from both her and Toph. "We have to tell Iroh" She said, her grin and her slightly flushed cheeks and the fact that she was curled in his bed made his mind go a little bit fuzzy.

"Is my uncle here?" He asked. "We can go now." Slowly he pulled himself from bed, she stood to let him as he tugged off the blankets and stood. Wearing nothing but a thin pair of pants to sleep in. She couldn't help the flush on her cheeks as he pulled on something to wear in silence.

"Should we really wake him right now?"

"He would want to know"

With that, the two of them left the room and went down the hall. They found Iroh's room empty, and paused in the corridor in thought. Zuko was shivering slightly, the cold getting to him without the large borrowed coat he normally wore. "Is the Order here?" She asked quietly. "Maybe they're in a meeting."

The two of them found their way into the kitchen, Katara still clutching the letter. She was so happy that everything seemed to be working. She knew that many people who had lived in her Tribe long before her time were moving back. She knew that the Earth Kingdom's unrest was starting to come to a close. She knew that they still had to go to the Fire Nation, which was going to happen in a few more days after the few weeks they had spent here. As they sat in the kitchen, Katara wrote Aang a long reply, hesitantly telling them the date and requesting that all of them be there, including the Air Nomads.

They were being told that they should have two ceremonies, one in the Fire Nation and one where they were now. Katara didn't like the idea, Zuko didn't seem to care.

The two of them sat in the kitchen together in nervous and excited silence. Finally, they heard a door opening, a murmur of voices, a group of people parting ways in the hall. The two of them jumped to their feet and met the group of them, Katara simply bowed her head respectfully and handed the note to Master Pakku, who took it and read it.

His eyes widened. The letter was passed between all of them, a gentle murmur went through them, and the group of men retreated back into the room, closing it behind them. Zuko grabbed Katara's hand and began to lead her back to her room. "You should get some sleep. You look tired" He said gently. She nodded, looking up at him.

"They know now, you should get some sleep too"

He nodded, loosening his grip on her hand. Ever since that shied away from kiss in the Spirit Oasis, he hadn't done much more than just hold her hand. It made him nervous to try anything, unsure what her thoughts on the subject were. Was it still just a formal marriage? She had not returned the kiss, she had told him that she wasn't interested, but she kept her hand in his more often than not.

They were both nervous. Zuko didn't want to push his limits and Katara was still faced with an ocean of emotions to sort through. In the end, he grasped her shoulder kindly and bid her good-night, retreating to his own room. Once there, the idea of being able to sleep beside Katara filled his mind. Her long hair fanning out over the pillow, strands falling on her face, her body, heavy with sleep, pressed up against his. But that was all a fantasy, it wouldn't happen. It couldn't, not when she still belonged to someone else.

Maybe one day that could happen. He could have enough trust in her that she would let him hold her. He wanted to hold her until the morning came. He wanted.. so much.

Iroh sat with Zuko, they spoke over tea. Iroh was pleased with the turn of events, they had not announced the discovery of the Air Nomads yet, they first needed to gauge the Fire Nation's reaction to Zuko's engagement. And they needed to preform both ceremonies in both nations, not just one. Normally, a woman marrying the Fire Lord was a Firebender herself. In this case, she was a Waterbender. The ceremony would need to be changed to suit the two of them.

There were a lot of things to plan. So many things that were making his head spin and begin to ache. He and Iroh went over all of them. It was strange that Iroh hadn't given him a real choice in the matter. Normally he would be the first one to tell him to follow his own path. Not in this case, which made him unsure about the whole thing. why would Iroh force this on him?

Not that it was forced, and it wasn't that he didn't want to. It was her heart he had wound up breaking. Not his. It was he who had known this whole time how he felt about her. He sighed softly once they had concluded their little meeting. He was tired. All he wanted to do was sleep.

They were heading to the Fire Nation today. Iroh was going with the Water Tribe members on the boat. As was Master Pakku to send them off. So the trip, once Appa had rested and eaten, was between him and Katara. It made him nervous, she was worried. Would the Fire Nation accept this? She knew already that there was some dislike between Zuko being the Fire Lord. People who still religiously followed Azula and Ozai.

When Appa was ready, the two of them crawled into his saddle. Katara gently stroking his soft fur as they prepared. Waving goodbye to everyone who had arrived to see them off. Once they were in the air, she tried to relax.

It wasn't hard to see that she was nervous wearing the necklace that he had carved for her. It looked so perfect against her throat. She hugged her knees to her chest as they sat in silence. Eventually, he moved over to her, sitting beside her and putting an arm around her shoulders. After a few minutes, she allowed herself to relax enough to lean against him.

She was still getting used to the idea. She still missed Aang. But the time away from him brought on a sense of resolve. It wasn't so bad anymore. Zuko was kind, or at least he tried to be. He hadn't seen his temper in awhile, as if he was trying to step lightly as to not aggravate her.

It was nice to sit with her like this. It was nice to have his arm around her. Even just the slightest amount of contact made his heart go in circles. She was exactly what he wanted, what he had wanted. Mai was cold, soft to the touch but too quiet. A powerful fighter but not really that well versed when it came to relationships. She wanted a lot, but he had never really wanted to do much. Other than kissing her, those embraces, those little touches – he had not wanted to go further. She had, of course, but he had been too uncertain.

When it came to Katara is was a completely different story. After spending so much time with her, he had realized just how powerful she was, how strong she was, how much he wanted her.

But he didn't know her thoughts. He didn't know her heart. He knew that she had been with the Avatar, he knew that she had been interested in him the whole time, so trying to compete with that was difficult. Very difficult. He didn't know what to think or what to do.

But she was leaning against him, either because she wanted to or because she didn't know what else to do. Maybe she was just trying to get used to him, maybe she didn't want anything to do with him, maybe she just wanted someone to lean against while her heart ached for the one she truly did want.

They had stopped for the night within the Fire Nation. Appa was tired and everyone was honoured to have the Fire Lord himself staying in their little village for the night. They were given a premium room for no charge, they were given complimentary meals and much praise. Katara wasn't used to this, she was used to sleeping outside or having to deal with a low-key room for very little. They didn't always have enough money to get by.

This was different. When they made their way into the room it was beautiful. From the window they had a view of the stable that Appa was sleeping in. He was outside playing with the children. Patting his fur and tossing him fruit to catch in his mouth.

The only issue with the room was the lack of beds. As in, there was only one. Perhaps they should have specified that there be two, but they had only asked for one room – maybe they assumed that they were together? Maybe they had heard the whispers of the girl the Fire Lord was betrothed to.

She wasn't sure what to make of it. Back in their journeys they had always slept close to each other. Sometimes for warmth, sometimes for protection. She had slept beside Zuko many nights, but not like this. Not in the same bed. Not sharing the same place. She didn't know what to do, apparently neither did Zuko.

"I can stay on the floor" He said, his voice gentle as he set their bags on the ground near the door. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"Uh, no, I'm fine" She didn't answer his question about staying on the same bed. Her and Aang had never spent the night together, though they had.. done a few things together. Innocent experimentation between two young bodies that never really got anywhere. But Aang had been young, inexperienced. Two years had sometimes made her feel uncertain, though it was really only a year and a half that she was older than him.

But Zuko was older than her. The thought of sharing a bed with him overnight both scared and thrilled her. Zuko left and she was left to her thoughts as mothers outside pulled their children back inside to bed and Appa went in to sleep.

She sat on the bed with her legs crossed, gently caressing the necklace around her throat. With a gentle sigh, she flopped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Maybe this was all for the best, Zuko was strong and powerful, he probably had been with many ladies before. She would be too young, inexperienced, for him. The thought brought her an inch of sadness that she wasn't expecting. Why did it matter?

But if – when they married – they would be expected to have children. Continue their family names. The thought worried her, and she hadn't really thought of it until now. It wasn't until Zuko returned with a tray of tea and pastries that she sat up and offered him a small smile. He sat down beside her and offered her a cup.

Despite herself, she took it and he filled the tea for her.

They drank and made light conversation. Chatting about nothing in particular for a long time. It wasn't until some time had passed that she yawned and he stood, asking her if she'd like to go to bed. She shrugged, mumbling that it might be a good idea. He nodded and went to a closet to locate another sheet to lay on, she bit her tongue and opened her mouth to speak. "Y-you don't need to sleep on the floor. There's plenty of room here" She offered, the bed was large enough for the two of them. But she was nervous, there was an undeniable tremble in her palms.

He looked astonished, but nodded. Sweeping his hand in a half circle and putting out all the lanterns in one go. She bit her tongue and hesitantly pulled off her outer clothes, they were uncomfortable to sleep in. She wasn't sure if he was undressing too before she pulled the blankets and curled up under them.

He climbed in too, and she felt him shift. Felt his undeniable warmth beside her. Her cheeks felt hot and she convinced herself that it was because he was made of fire. She turned her head to look at him, but he was facing away from her.

With a hushed sigh, she closed her eyes.

Katara couldn't sleep, she felt every move he made and kept still. She could sense he was still awake too. Her tongue found its way between her teeth and she didn't chance turning her head to look at him. She pretended to be asleep when he sat up slowly, ramming her eyes shut and concentrating on breathing. After a few moments, he lay back down, but instead he felt closer and felt a very warm arm circle around her. She felt her body heat up and she quite nearly made a noise. Trying to keep her breathing calm was proving to be difficult as he gently rest his cheek behind her head, some of her hair pinned under him. She heard him take a long breath before settling, his arm over the blankets and wrapped loosely around her.

She breathed evenly, taking in his smell. He smelled like spiced tea and something she couldn't name.

When it seemed like he had fallen asleep, she freed her hair from under his head and boldly pressed her body back against his. Despite her previous wish to keep this arrangement as nothing more than that, she couldn't help herself. She was drawn to Zuko's flame.

In the morning he woke up to her hair fanned across the pillow, she was laying on her back and breathing softly. His arm across her body and the blankets falling down to her hips. Her top had ridden up enough to show off a strip of soft tanned skin. Her head cocked slightly towards his as he lay facing her. His nose was close to her cheek, his heart was skipping madly. He had no idea what to do, and after worrying for a few minutes, simply closed his eyes and relaxed, enjoying it. She felt nice in his arms, she felt like she might want to be here. Maybe.

He stayed there until she rolled over, turning her back to him. He almost moved his arm away from her but decided to keep it there. In her sleep, she shuffled backwards to lean against his chest. Oh fuck she's so close. I don't know what to do. He sucked in a deep breath, cradling her close to him and slowly pressing his hand against hers. Her fingers curled around his instantly. Ohshitissheawake?

Zuko stayed put, they were so close. He could feel her body pressed up against his and he suddenly realized just how hard it was to control himself around her – especially here.

When she rolled over again he only barely glimpsed that her eyes were open before he pressed his mouth against hers. He couldn't help it anymore.

She responded hesitantly, but she responded well. That's what mattered. The fact that she responded at all made his heart race and his body begin to warm up. Her arms slowly snaked around him, his arms moved around hers too.

He never thought that Katara would be kissing him like this. Her lips were cool and soft, they parted and her mouth was cold. When they pulled apart, her cheeks were flushed and at some point during their kiss he had been rolled to his back and she was resting gently on his chest. She sat up slightly, looking down at him. Her bright blue eyes shone in the morning light and he finally remembered that, yes, breathing is important.

She sat up and he followed, their gaze was locked, she leaned in and took his lips this time. His hands fell on her waist and hers fell on his shoulders. Their movements were flawless together, her body hummed and she sighed into the kiss, eventually breaking free and resting her head on his shoulder. He kissed the side of her throat and she gasped softly. He left it at that, knowing that any more could push this shaky arrangement into a danger zone – the last thing he wanted was for her to stop.

Eventually, they parted and dressed, preparing themselves for another day's journey. They would be there this evening, that much was certain. Together, they ate breakfast and went out to meet Appa, who was happily lounging in the shade.

The two of them climbed on and continued moving.

Some kind of dynamic had changed between them. Katara had warmed up to the notion of Zuko as her prince. She didn't really realize just what was behind their past arguments and adventures together. There was something there, it was that spark that could ignite the forest. That small trickle of water that would turn into a waterfall. Fire was destructive, but so was water. Both could destroy. But one created heat and light, the other quenched thirst. Both of them were vital to live. In the icy Water Tribes, they needed fire to keep warm and give light. In the heated Fire Nation, they needed water to live.

Their elements were wound together. Their elements were bound to nature, like the ocean and the moon.

It was undeniable that she cared about the Fire Lord.

She just hadn't noticed how much she had cared about him until now.

They were finally coming on the Fire Nation capital, the palace that Zuko had finally been greeted back into. They landed, people were gathering (some had already gathered, knowing already that they were going to be there) upon seeing the arrival of the last air bison in the world.

Nervously, she stepped off of the creature, unsure if she should hold his hand or not. Was it too soon? Did the announcement need to be made first? Did they know? Zuko answered the question for her by taking her hand on the way down, just as a gentleman would. It was strange to see him act this way. Maybe he was putting on an act. Either way – he didn't let go of her hand. He held onto it as the two of them walked up to the front steps with Appa following behind them.

They were met with Mai, who was standing against the opened door, her arms crossed angrily over her chest. Her expression was rough and when the two of them walked near enough to her, she swept into action. Striding purposefully up to Zuko and slapping him across the face. Hard. Hard enough to leave a red welt on his cheek. He blinked at her, then narrowed his eyes and pulled Katara inside without a word.

"You didn't tell her?" Katara asked, completely shocked once they got inside. Preparations had been made already that Zuko would be announcing something tomorrow night, so the place was pumping with action.

"No" Was Zuko's flat reply. He didn't look too happy and Katara pulled her hand back. That seemed to bring some sense back to him. "What? How could I? It isn't exactly something you put into a letter" He placed a hand on his cheek and rubbed it. Damn that girl could hit.

"That wasn't right and you know it. How could you? I can't imagine how she must feel right now!" Her voice was raised and a few people had stopped to stare at her. Hurriedly, he grabbed her wrist and tugged her up a long set of stairs to his room.

The front doors were large enough for Appa to walk inside easily, so he had done just that. There was a makeshift stable set up in one corner of the room, where the bison happily trotted over to munch on a random assortment of food.

He pulled her to his room while she was still ranting about morals and how stupid Zuko had been for leaving it until now to tell her. And how stupid she was for letting him hold her hand on the way in.

As soon as the door was closed and locked he turned to her. "Did you want her to come up and kiss me while you were there?" He asked, voice low, without looking at her, dropping their bags on the floor.

That shut her up. She bit her tongue and looked away. She wasn't sure if she wanted to admit that a part of her wanted to keep him all to herself, now that she had him.

"I didn't know what else to do. You know I'm not good at this sort of thing." He didn't apologize, but Katara realized that that was probably the closest she was going to get coming from someone as stubborn as he was.

She sighed and dropped herself onto a chair. "It still doesn't seem right. You should have told her." She reasoned, at least she was right about something.

"I already told you. I didn't know what to do."

The next night they gave the announcement. Fire Lord Zuko was marrying a Southern Water Tribe girl. Practically a peasant in some eyes, but for others she was a flower from the South – the only known Waterbender left in such a small tribe.

The news was taken with shock, admiration, distaste, and cheers. The mixed reactions within the building were difficult to process. Neither could tell what reaction was prominent.

Mai wasn't happy. Every time she saw Katara she gave her best death glare and stomped away. Zuko had tried talking to her after the announcement, but she had simply turned him away with a fist aimed at his gut.

A room was set up for Katara, which had, despite everything, brought a bit of disappointment. He had wanted to share a bed with her again. But he had spent one night away from her after the first night of being here – so he'd survive.

Besides, she was still irritated with him and didn't really want to talk to him. He didn't seem to have much luck with women lately.

Katara sat in her room, she had changed into a pretty Fire Nation outfit. She didn't mind the Fire Nation clothes, they were very comfortable to wear and hardly constricting. Though she liked her Water Tribe outfit more, she could get used to this too. She supposed that she would have to. Appa had already left to join Aang once more, carrying the return letter she had written to Aang on his horn.

She watched the rain.

It had started raining late in the afternoon. She stood in the doorway of a balcony, overlooking a pond and a large patch of grass. It was very nice here, she liked the layout. Zuko's room was near to hers, she knew that much, but she didn't really want to talk to him right now. Having him expose the fact that he was betrothed to someone else in front of Mai without telling her, and like that was not a good move in her books. Even if she had felt terrible if Mai would have kissed him.

That was one of the last things she wanted. Zuko was officially hers. The necklace proved it. Now she just had to wonder what Fire Nation traditions were.

There was a knock on the door and she walked inside. A light sweep of her hand and she was completely dry. "Come in" She stated, watching carefully, expecting Zuko. Instead, a woman walked in and offered her a half bow.

"Would you like anything to eat?" She asked cheerfully. Oh great, a servant.

"Oh, sure. That would be nice, thank you."

"Any preferences?"

"No, thanks, that's fine. Anything works. Maybe a snack?"

The servant nodded. "Okay, just one more question.. Lord Zuko has requested to come see you. Is that acceptable?"

Katara sighed gently. "Sure. But only if he brings in the food" She stated, trying to push away the bitterness in her voice.

"Of course!" With that, the woman left, closing the door behind her.

Twenty minutes later, there was another knock on the door. Again, she called for them to come in. In return she only heard a muffled and sheepish 'I can't get the door open…'.

Despite herself, she smiled. Walking over to the door and opening it. Zuko was carrying a very large tray with a number of plates on it that contained a lot of food. He smiled sheepishly as he brought it over. "Hey" He stated, looking at her with a quiet smile.

"Hi Zuko" She stated, her voice flatly amused as she closed the door behind her. He placed the tray on the table and looked at her.

"I see my mistake. I should have told her before. I guess I was so shocked by the whole thing I wasn't thinking." He trailed off as she walked over to him and rest her head on his shoulder, hugging him peacefully.

"I shouldn't be mad at you. You're trying. It's all I could ask for." She wanted to say something about their situation, that what they were doing was good for the world. That may have sounded like that's all it was. At this point, she couldn't say if it was just for the greater good. She didn't know if she wanted it to be just for the greater good. Maybe a part of her saw what she hadn't seen before. Maybe she had just expected to be with Aang that she hadn't really thought of any other options.

Zuko felt warm as she hugged him, his arms went around her in turn and she inhaled deeply. Everything will be fine. But where they had to go from here, she didn't know. Their issues would sort themselves out. Airbenders had been found, the Earth Kingdom was finding peace, and she was finding herself strangely taken with a boy with the scar on his face