Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I wake up to the noise of the door bell ringing, and to the searing light of morning sun burning my eyelids. I am absolutely exhausted and in no mood to answer the door. I would probably bite the head off the poor soul, as vengeance. I decide to kindly allow Sokka, to answer the persistent ring of the doorbell.

"Sokka! Sokka! I know that you are there! Answer that door, or else something very bad will happen to you!"

Slowly, my bedroom door opens and Sokka sticks his head in, only enough for me to see the tip of his red nose. Believe me, you do not want to be around Sokka, when he is in any way sick. It is disgusting, to say the least. Right now, he is driving me insane with his stupid cold. He constantly sneezes on me, and if it is not on me, it is all around me. A shiver goes up my spine, at the very thought.

"Batara, why can't you go get the door? I am the invalid."

At that, I snort. Sokka is the dramatic one, in our house. You would swear, that he is dying, instead of the sniffles.

"Batara? Really? Sokka, that couldn't seem natural! And the invalid, please! You have a mild case of the sniffles, not pneumonia. Now get off your ass and answer the fucking door!"

"Alright, alright. You only had to ask!"

Dear God, do you see what I have to deal with, day in and day out?

I listen as Sokka walks down the stairs and opens that wretched door. Wait a minute…does he sound surprised? And happy? My curiosity gets the better of me.

I get dressed to the soundtrack of Sokka's squeals. Actually, it sounds just as bad as you would expect. I can't sugar-coat for you, because it really sounds terrible. I rush down the stairs, crashing into something hard. Or someone. It takes me a few moments to realise who it.

"Katara!"

He gives me his usual bone-cracking hug.

"Zuko! I can't believe it! I can't believe it! I can't believe it! But…you, you left. You were attacked!"

Zuko chuckles. My heart thuds in my chest at the sound.

"I think we all know, that I can look after myself. I have proven that, at the very least."

I scrutinise Zuko. There he is, standing in all his gorgeous glory. He towers over me, and even over Sokka. He is muscular. Someone takes care of himself. His face is breath-taking.

"Katara, are you finished looking at my face yet?"

I blush bright red. Okay, how shall I play this? Laugh it off? Or laugh? Mmmm… I think that I should lie.

"No,no, no. I was looking at the wall, behind your head."

Zuko begins to smirk.

He doesn't believe me. I wouldn't expect him to, because I am a terrible liar. And to be fair, I was staring at him. But I haven't seen him in years, nobody has. I just can't help myself. My eyes keep scanning his face. I have missed him so much, and I don't know for certain why he left, because nobody does. If he was going to tell anyone, he would tell me first. I was his best friend. I loved him as a friend. However, I always liked him a little more than a friends should like their friend. Believe me, if your best friend was injured badly and left town without telling anyone, especially their best friend, you would be distraught. I cried for nights on end. I don't think that I can keep those tears in for much longer.

"I was looking at a particularly interesting piece of wall."

Zuko begins to laugh and turns around to face the wall. He begins a thorough investigation of the wall. Zuko was always such a joker. When he faces me again, he has such a broad grin plastered across that gorgeous face of his. I sigh. Hopefully, Zuko didn't hear that.

My lucky streak has definitely run out, because Zuko is smiling broadly. I think that he heard me... Okay, that was awkward. Now, time to change the subject.

"How about a gastronomical delight?"

"Ah, the humble oatmeal."

This is a running gag, between Zuko and I, well until he left. I can't believe that he still remembers, after all, he left five years ago. We bonded over our many et hates, which includes oatmeal. I mean, who likes oatmeal? It is tasteless, and looks questionable. To be quite frank, it looks like a cranium. Who in their right mind would eat it?! And, if you were to say that you are a fan of oatmeal, I would question your motives and call the FBI saying that we have a major, international criminal on our hands.

It makes me happy, that Zuko still remembers all our little antics as children. It means that they were just as special to him, as they were to me.

"Well, lead the way. Don't tell me you have forgotten the various corridors and dungeons, that make up my house."

"Wait a minute, I need my map."

And then he reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a folded up piece of parchment.

"Is that what I think it is?"

If it is what I think it is, then I am really at a major risk of blubbering like a baby right now.

"Yes, it is the map that we made, on that summer day of '04."

I roll my eyes, '04? Really? Then I realise what he said. My eyes begin to well up. Zuko looks concerned.

"Kat, are you alright?"

"Oh, I am fine. I just got a hair, or maybe a brush stuck in my eye."

Zuko suddenly moves even closer to me, and gently wraps me in his arms. In those muscular, glorious arms. Okay, I am beginning to sound like a crazed maniac, but that is what his arms turn me into. A crazed maniac. How saddening.

I openly cry, and cry, and cry, and you have guessed it, cried some more. Until, I am no longer able to cry, because frankly I need to get some fluids into me. I feel severely dehydrated, but I also much better.

"Zuko, I missed you so, so much. You would never believe how much."

"I know Kat. My life just didn't feel right, when you weren't there. I am never going to leave you like that again."

I grow concerned. He was in danger, he needed to leave.

"Zuko, you would have been killed if you stayed. As it was, you were nearly killed. I would have preferred that you were safe, than harmed."

Sokka walks out of the living room, along with Dad.

"Ah Zuko, you have returned at long last. You were missed by everyone."

"Ah stop it sir, you are making me blush."

"Zuko, I thought that I told you to call me Hakoda, or Koda if you want to."

"But sir..."

"Zuko.. come on, say it with me. Ha-Ko-Da."

I think Zuko eventually decided to give in, and this is a major step, because Dad has been trying to get Zuko to call him by his name for years.

"Okay, Hakoda."

The beam on my Dad's face, tells me everything that I need to know. My Dad accepts Zuko as part of our family, even though his own family didn't accept as part of their family. Well, aside from Iroh, of course. And we all know what Iroh is like. He is a jolly, old fellow, to say the least. But Iroh wasn't in America, when everything changed for Zuko. He was in Afghanistan, along with his son Lu Ten. That story didn't come with a happy ending. Iroh still blames himself.

Nobody else blames, only himself. It wasn't his fault. It was never his fault. He loved Lu Ten, even more so after the death of his wife. Iroh had a sad life, but by looking at him, you wouldn't think so. Iroh inspires me, and he inspires Zuko. Iroh always loved Zuko as a son. It was unfortunate that Iroh wasn't in America. If he were, Lu Ten would have been in America and he wouldn't have died. That is why Iroh blames himself.

So, I need ten reviews before I update again. I am sorry, if that seems demanding, however I need some motivation. Sorry for being pushy. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Read and review. :D