From Fire Chapter 16: The Sanctuary

Segment 2: Peace Offering

"I want to apologize for Sokka," Katara offered awkwardly as she and Ty Lee prepared dinner inside the temple kitchen. "I don't know what's gotten into him. He isn't usually like this."

"It's okay; I know he's only trying to protect you all."

"And Zuko wants to protect you," Katara pointed out gently.

As hard as it was for Katara to admit, she rather liked Ty Lee. All of their past conflict aside, the perky acrobat was actually very pleasant and easy to get along with. In fact, it amazed her that she could have ever fallen in with the likes of Azula.

And while she couldn't begrudge Ty Lee her decision to leave, Katara really wished she'd change her mind. It didn't seem right that she should base her choice off of one person's desire to see her gone: especially when that person was Katara's own unreasonable brother.

"I know," Ty lee answered sadly. She then turned to Katara and smiled. "Some things never change I guess."

Katara threw her an inquisitive look. "What do you mean?"

"Zuko being protective," the girl explained matter-of-factly as she returned to her vegetable slicing. "He's always been like that."

"Really?"

For some reason this surprised Katara. She had always believed that Zuko's inexplicable sense of duty to defend their small group was a recent development; one of the ways he had changed for the better. So it was with great interest that she listened to Ty Lee.

"Yeah, he has," she was saying fondly. "I mean, once, when we were kids, I fell out of a tree and hurt my ankle. Well, Zuko found me crying in the garden, so he picked me up and carried me on his back, all the way to the palace infirmary. Of course, Azula told him he was stupid for not getting a servant to do it, but that's just the way he is," she shrugged. "He saw I was hurt and he took care of me."

Katara glanced thoughtfully out the window to the courtyard below, where Zuko was currently admonishing Aang for a mistake he had made with his fire bending, and she could just make out the sound of his voice drifting up to the kitchen window.

"You have to step into the attack to defend against it, Aang," he chided seriously, "not away from it. If you try to retreat, your root will be broken. And if that happens, you lose." He walked a short distance away and took up his stance. "Now try it again."

Throughout the gentle scolding, she could hear something else in the prince's voice: something that if she had been paying attention sooner, she might have noticed a long time ago. It was concern, worry…fear. He was hard on Aang during their lessons because he didn't want to the boy to get hurt. Not by him, and not by his father. Zuko looked after Aang like a big brother. He looked after all of them that way.

She remembered how upset Zuko had gotten when Toph had been poisoned, how solicitous he'd been toward the younger girl when she was seasick on the trip over. Reflecting on what Ty Le had just told her, Katara's face softened with amused wonder.

"Somehow, I can see him doing that," she admitted.

"Zuko is definitely a softie," Ty Lee said knowingly, "no matter how tough he acts."

And that was when it struck Katara that perhaps Zuko hadn't changed at all. Maybe he had simply stopped pretending to be someone he wasn't. And that the fierce prince who had chased them all over the world wasn't the real Zuko. It was someone he had fabricated in an effort to do what he felt had to be done. Suddenly, it all made perfect sense, and it made her realize something else.

"Well, so is Sokka," insisted Katara with a sly smirk. She picked up a dragon-heart and hefted it contemplatively. "And I happen to know exactly how to soften him up."

She plopped the fruit meaningfully into Ty Lee's hand, and as comprehension dawned on the acrobat, an uncertain laugh escaped her mouth in spite of herself. It was an infectious sound that Katara couldn't help but share along in, and for that moment, there was no discomfiture between them. They were just two girls giggling over silly boys who tired too hard to be manly, and hatching plots on how to outsmart one.


Dinner that night was an extravagant affair. No longer limited to a simple cooking fire, and with plenty of food remaining from what they'd gathered a few days ago, the girls had been able to put together nothing short of a feast. And as it turned out, Ty Lee really knew how to cook….which worked out perfectly as far as Katara was concerned.

Throughout the meal, she discreetly watched her brother from across the room where they sat in a circle on the ground, noting with satisfaction that he wolfed down everything he could get his hands on, obviously enjoying every bite. And when the dessert was served, steaming rice custard topped with caramelized fruit, Sokka was the first to finish his.

"Wow," he said around his last mouthful, setting his bowl down, "Thif meaw waf reary goot!"

He immediately began glancing around for a second helping, and his eyes settled hungrily on Zuko's untouched dessert sitting between them. The prince, who was still finishing his main course, noticed this, and he fixed the other boy with a warning glare as he scooted his bowl to the other side, out of Sokka's reach.

"Well, I'm glad you think so," Katara replied smugly, "Because Ty Lee made it.

Sokka nearly choked on the bite he was swallowing. Still fighting back a gag reflex, the water tribe warrior stared at his sister in horror.

"You let her cook our food?" he cried.

"Yes, Sokka, I did."

"What were you thinking?" he gasped as he got to his feet scolding his sister angrily. "How could you trust her with something as important as our food? What if she poisoned it?"

Still seated on the ground behind the irritated teen, Zuko's low voice cut dangerously through his rant.

"Stop it, Sokka."

"Please tell me you were in there with her the whole time," he continued heedlessly. "Did you leave her out of your sight? Even for a moment? Because I'm sure that's all she'd nee-"

"That's enough!" roared Zuko, leaping to his feet.

Sokka spun around in surprise, and actually took a step backward away from the advancing prince.

"She didn't poison the food," he seethed, "and she's not a threat."

"How can you be so sure-"

"She saved my life!" Zuko shouted in exasperation, "And if Azula catches up with her, Ty Lee's is forfeit." He fixed determined eyes on the acrobat's frightened face and reassured her grimly, "I will not let that happen." He then turned his defiant stare at Sokka to add coldly, "and neither will you."

Zuko bent down and picked up his bowl of fruit custard, and then thrust it into Sokka's stunned hands.

"Enjoy it," the prince snarled, and without another word, he turned and left the courtyard.

Sokka merely stood there staring guiltily down at the food while everyone looked on in significant silence. At last, Ty Lee got to her feet and started gathering up the empty dinnerware.

"I'll just get started with the dishes," she offered meekly.

Katara stood as well and took the stack from the other girl, throwing her brother a disapproving scowl.

"I'll give you a hand, Ty Lee."

Toph was the next one up, patting her belly heartily as she quipped.

"Well, I think after that tasty meal, I need to do some bending to work if off. How about it, Twinkletoes?"

Aang pulled a disappointed gaze from Sokka as he stood.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Thanks for dinner, Ty Lee," he added sincerely, "it was great."

The girl smiled shyly in his direction before picking up the last bowl and following Katara back to the kitchen while the two youngest went off in search of a good earth bending site, leaving Sokka alone by the fountain still holding Zuko's uneaten dessert. Heaving a heavy sigh, he sat down on the edge of the pool, then cautiously picked up a spoonful and shoved it in his mouth.

Very slowly, he chewed the food, as if expecting at any moment that his throat would close off and he would go into convulsions. But when nothing happened, he quickly gulped down another greedy bite, muttering approvingly as he ate.

"Thif if reary, reary goot."


Katara was just about to bend the wash water out the window into a nearby gutter-spout when Sokka walked sheepishly into the kitchen, an empty bowl in his hand. She quickly replaced the water in the basin and turned to Ty Lee.

"I'm going to go make sure Aang fed Appa," she stated briskly, heading toward the door.

Ty Lee glanced over her shoulder, an 'okay' on her lips to acknowledge she'd heard, but the sound died as her eyes fell on Sokka. Suddenly left alone with him, she bit her bottom lip nervously, and then quickly diverted her attention back to the dishes she was putting away.

"You can just put that in the sink if you want," she suggested awkwardly, "I'll wash it in a second."

Sokka walked over to basin, and Ty Lee fully expected him to drop the bowl in the water and leave. But instead, he picked up a rag and began to clean it himself. Ty Lee watched from the corner of her eye, hastily looking away when he glanced discretely in her direction.

"So…" he drawled uncomfortably, "where'd you learn to cook like that?"

"My sisters and I all had to learn," she told him, and then a little more lightly she explained, "With seven girls to marry off, my parents wanted to make sure we'd be desirable brides. So we all learned to cook. And sew, and do calligraphy, and play music…" Her voice trailed off as she realized she was rambling. "I'm sorry, this is probably boring you."

"No, it's….it's fine," he answered lamely.

Seeing he was done washing his bowl, Ty Lee held out her hand to take it so she could dry it and put it away. He gave it to her and then stood there uneasily twiddling his thumbs with nothing left to do. At last, he drew in a deep breath and let it out.

"Look…if you're only planning on leaving because of the stuff I said, then don't," he declared genuinely, "Because Zuko's right. The safest place for you right now is with us…and…I'm sorry I've been such a jerk about it."

She turned to him in surprise, her eyes wide with hope.

"Then…you won't be upset if…I decide to stay?" she asked hesitantly.

He shook his head, "No."

Ty Lee's whole face lit up with a smile, and she looked like she was ready to launch herself forward to wrap him in a grateful hug. He promptly stepped back and held up is hands to stop her.

"But don't think that this means I like you," he clarified quickly, "or that we're friends."

Bright eyes still shining happily, she bobbed her head up and down in an affirmative, her braid bouncing gaily behind her.

"And seriously," he continued, "don't ever do the poking thing on me…or anyone else."

"I won't," she swore solemnly, her braid now swishing back and forth and she energetically shook her head. "I promise."

The situation resolved, he nodded awkwardly and turned to leave. Just as he was about to walk out the door, she called out.

"Sokka…"

He paused and looked back at her over his shoulder. She stood there timidly with the dishtowel clutched tightly in her hands, looking about as dangerous as two-week old kitten.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

Once more, he nodded, his expression that of someone resigned to having just made a choice he'd probably later regret, and his voice carried the weight of his reluctant acceptance.

"Yeah…don't mention it."

Shaking his head slightly as he finally left the room, he let out sigh. There was still one more person he needed to make peace with.


He found Zuko on a wide patio overlooking the courtyard, practicing what looked like bending moves, but with without any of the bright element Sokka was accustomed to seeing from the fire bender. The forms were also decidedly different from the things he was teaching Aang; the motions were slower, softer, more fluid. But they were carried out with the same sense of power and focus that Zuko brought to nearly everything he did.

Unseen by Zuko, Sokka walked up and stood behind his friend, watching silently as the prince finished his set. Lost in his own thoughts on what he was going to say, he didn't even notice Zuko go tense, and Sokka had no time to prepare or react when the prince swung around and punched forward.

Sokka let out a squeak as Zuko's fist stopped a hair's breadth from connecting with his nose. Staring cross-eyed at the knuckles in front of him, the warrior gulped, then carefully placed one finger to the side of Zuko's hand and slowly pointed the fist away.

Dropping from his stance, Zuko glared at the other boy and waited expectantly.

"I told Ty Lee she could stay," Sokka informed him quietly.

Zuko's brow furrowed slightly in confusion and surprise as he went to pick his tunic up from a nearby bench.

"Thank you," he murmured earnestly.

"I still have my reservations about this, mind you," continued the warrior sternly, "but I'd rather have her here where we can keep an eye on her, than roaming around so she can blab about how to find us."

The prince nodded in understanding. It wasn't exactly the act of compassion he'd hoped for, but Zuko was willing to take what he could get if it meant he'd be able to keep Ty Lee from Azula's wrath. And Sokka was definitely right; Azula would surely use that as a bargaining chip against her former friend, offering 'forgiveness' in exchange for information. Still, it irritated him that his friend was taking such a hard stance, even with his change of mind.

"You really hate her, don't you?" asked Zuko soberly.

"No, I don't," Sokka insisted, "it's just that…" He sighed miserably as he admitted the truth to himself. "You weren't there when we found Suki. You didn't see what was done to her. I did and…it's hard to let that go."

"Ty lee didn't act alone, you know," Zuko replied pointedly, "and I guarantee you that she wouldn't have done something like that if Azula didn't expect it of her. Ty Lee isn't a bad person….neither was Mai."

Sokka didn't have a response to that, other than to hang his head contritely. After a few moments of awkward slice, he finally looked back up at Zuko, willing to put their past disagreements aside.

"You know…I'm pretty sure I saw another bowl of that fruit custard stuff sitting in the kitchen," he mused, rubbing his chin as he threw Zuko a meaningful smirk.

A smile tugged at Zuko's mouth even as he narrowed his eyes at the other teen. He knew full well that Sokka wasn't offering to let him have the dessert. It was a challenge, with the prize going to whoever could get to it first.

They bolted for the kitchen at the exact same time.

Stepping out from the shadows of the patio where she'd been eavesdropping, Katara watched with an affectionate grin as the two boys scuffled through the doorway, Zuko managing to trip up Sokka and get past him. She shook her head with a chuckle and quietly followed, glad that things were finally back to normal.

Well…as 'normal' as things got for their crew anyway.


Author's note:

Thanks and congratulations go to fuzzytomato for displaying the most flattering act of dedication I think I've had from a reader yet. She actually had someone e-mail the previous chapter to her at work so she could read it on her lunch break. 0.o

The scene she selected for me to illustrate will be posted to my deviantArt page just as soon as I can get it done.