The Nature of the Blue Spirit

by Pearlynn

To Zuko, this walled city was always busier at night. / Zutara/ Blutara one-shot. Rated M for violence, mentions of rape, and sexual content. Now with Part 2! **PART THREE COMING THIS SUMMER**

2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.

A/N heeeeeeey look what I did? I couldn't keep this little story hanging, so here's part 2 of The Nature of the Blue Spirit! Also this part is much more story-driven as opposed to the smut from the first part. But there's still some at the end.

---

"Katara... are you sure about this?"

Blue eyes went to the sign above the doors and a secretive smile spread across her face. "Of course. After all, they gave me a coupon."

Sokka frowned and tucked the last of their fliers into his pack, then put his arm around his sister's shoulders. "Think about what you're doing, Katara. You're basically handing Aang over to two Fire Nation royals who have been hell-bent on capturing him for the past half year. We need to be careful."

Katara all but shoved her brother away and scowled at him. "We need to keep an open mind. Zu - I mean, Lee told me that they were starting over here. They have no intention of capturing Aang and don't plan on leaving any time soon. They're just as much of an enemy to the Fire Nation as we are at this point in time, so what's the point of losing what they've built here?"

"I'm totally game," Toph said as she butted her head between the siblings and added, "Besides, Uncle makes the best tea. So I would love a free cup."

"'Uncle?!'" Sokka gasped, confused and outraged at the same time. His voice was a stage whisper as he declared in confusion, "You call General Iroh 'Uncle?!'"

Toph chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "An honor I received for having tea with him in the middle of the wilderness."

Sokka groaned with exasperation, then two pairs of blue eyes went to Aang, who was still mulling it over with a thoughtful look on his face. When he realized they were all looking at him, he shrugged and sent them his typical lopsided grin. "I do love tea."

With the issue being settled, Katara strode across the street and opened the door to the tea shop. Inside, every table was full except the one she sat at when she first came to visit. Iroh spotted them immediately as they walked in, his eyes widening only fractionally before he grinned that jovial grin of his.

"Hello again, friends! It is always so good to see a familiar face," he said in his gravelly yet bright voice as led them to the table. Zuko was nowhere to be seen, but then again the shop was awfully busy and he could have easily been in the back making more of those delicious tea cakes. Iroh clutched his empty tea pot to his chest as they all scooted into their seats. "My nephew will be out in a moment to take your order. I assume you brought your coupon?"

Katara nodded and pulled it out of her pocket, causing Iroh's grin to grow.

"Wonderful," he exclaimed in a way that Katara felt he would have jubilantly clapped his hands had he not been holding a teapot. "I will be sure to make sure yours is my best blend."

Without another word, he was swept away to take another order and go to the back. Katara met Sokka's eyes and the flabbergasted look in his stare almost made her laugh, had Zuko not come out from the backroom and finally noticed their arrival.

It had been a couple of weeks since she last saw him when he walked her to the Middle Ring, and it was noticeable. His hair now grew out into an awkward shag that barely skimmed his eyebrows and there was more mass to the muscles that had thinned during his days on the run. The harshness of his typical scowl had softened slightly, enough that he looked even more handsome, and it made Katara's heart to a strange little flip as her cheeks got a little warm. It didn't help that she suddenly remembered their last encounter - the part up against the wall and all - and her stomach fluttered with anticipation. He met her gaze, all molten and bright, and he froze. His eyes darted from her to her friends, then they widened before he swiftly spun on his heels and went back into the backroom.

Toph snorted. "Guess Uncle didn't warn him?"

"Good," Sokka sniffed as he dug his fingernail against the grains in the wood of the table. "Let him sweat."

"Sokka, give him a chance," Aang chastised softly as he met Katara's gaze. He smiled at her before adding, "If Katara trusts them, I'm sure there's a good reason for it."

Katara gave Aang a grateful smile, which he returned with a wide grin. Moments later, Zuko was exiting the backroom as if he was being pushed out. The plump hands that Katara saw retreating from his back told her that was exactly what happened. Zuko scowled at the curtain, then readjusted the full tray in his hands before all-but stomping over to their table.

After all, there were pretenses to be kept and acting as if they were still enemies would not be a good look for the lowly tea servers in the Lower Ring.

Gingerly, Zuko silently placed a pot and four cups with saucers on the table. His finesse was actually pretty impressive, considering the blank - if not stern - look on his face. The tea was poured into each cup - a little humbly, Katara noted - and a basket of tea cakes was placed between Sokka and Toph.

With a bow, Zuko murmured, "Please enjoy."

When he straightened, he met her gaze again for a fleeting second before spinning on his heels like the sailor he was and practically scurrying to the backroom. She would had laughed at his awkwardness had Sokka not beat her to the punch with a low whistle.

"Must be a kick in the ego having to serve tea when it was once served to you on a gilded platter," he said, a little too loudly for her tastes.

A crash from the backroom told her that it had been just loud enough. The sound of a slamming door was too close behind to be a coincidence, and Iroh came shuffling out of the backroom with another tray and an appeasing smile on his face.

He reached their table and gave a small but humble bow. "I apologize for my nephew's behavior. He has been feeling under the weather as of late, so his already-short temper has been much more testy. Please enjoy these meat buns on the house as a part of our apology."

As he set the basket down, Sokka quickly snatched one of the buns and gave it a sniff. "These aren't... special meat buns, are they?"

Iroh's eyes glittered as he replied, "The only reason they are special is because they were made with love."

Without another word, he moved to one of the other tables to take care of them. Katara watched as the seasoned general poured more tea with a flourish, to which compliments from all over were heard loud and clear. Even when she took a sip, a burst of pleasant and light flavor hit her tongue. When Iroh passed again, she was about to give him another compliment to add to his repertoire when a well-dressed man - clearly from the Upper Ring - all but slammed his cup down on his table with a jubilant smile on his face.

"This tea is magnificent!" he exclaimed, causing Iroh to turn to him in surprise. The man turned to him and asked, "So, you're the genius behind this incredible brew. The whole city is buzzing about you! I hope Pao pays you well."

Iroh gave him a slight bow and replied genuinely, "Good tea is its own reward."

The man's eyebrows went up slightly - suggestively, really - and he presented Iroh with a gold coin. "But it doesn't have to be the only reward. How would you like to have your own tea shop?"

Katara swore Iroh would have dropped the teapot in his hands had he not cherished the tea inside so much. "My own tea shop? This is a dream come true!"

She chose not to eavesdrop anymore, instead turning back to her friends and smiling as they enjoyed their tea and, in Sokka's enthusiastic case, meat buns. A few moments later, an apron-less Iroh came to their table and gave them all a short bow.

"Thank you all for coming," he told them with an earnest smile. "We will still honor your coupon, and when my own tea shop is opened I will send word to you all so you can be our esteemed guests."

Sokka then leaned forward, only after swallowing his fourth meat bun, and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the old royal. "How can we be certain it isn't a trap?"

Iroh smiled as if he was expecting that question and said quietly, "My nephew and I are simple refuges from the war the Fire Nation has waged. I can assure you that we mean no harm to the Avatar and his friends, and will not in the future. There is nowhere for us to go but here."

Sokka took another bite, chewing thoughtfully, then swallowed loudly before he shrugged and said, "Seems legitimate to me. After all, what kind of enemy would give me my favorite food?"

Iroh's smile grew and he bowed his head gratefully. "A peace offering, in a way. Made by my nephew, in fact. Where he lacks in tea-making skills, he makes up in his baking."

Katara watched as Sokka slowed his chewing for a split second. She was afraid that he would spit it out and then never touch another bun, but she was pleasantly surprised when he merely shrugged and washed down the food with more tea. With a smile, she looked to Iroh and said, "Congratulations on the tea shop offer, by the way. Though it's a shame Lee wasn't here to get the good news."

He nodded. "Lee had to... get some fresh air. All of the fumes from the tea was making him light-headed. I'll be sure to extend your greetings to him and perhaps convince him to apologize to you in person for his hasty departure."

Katara couldn't help but grin in mirth, because she knew that it would mean that Zuko would likely be visiting her that night in his Blue Spirit guise as if Iroh was pulling him by his ear all the way up to the Upper Ring. "I look forward to seeing him again."

Iroh bid them farewell with a wide smile, then left the teashop with the sounds of his former boss's pleas for him to return were drowned out by his discussion with his new business partner. Good for him, she decided. Based on what Zuko told her, Iroh deserved his own shop. And with the way his tea tasted, she was sure he was bound to have incredible success up in the Upper Ring.

Plus, that meant Zuko would be closer to her.

"Let's get going," Sokka declared after he finished up his meat buns. "We still have half of those fliers to put up."

Katara followed the others out of the shop, leaving a slight tip for Pao's troubles, and took the proffered stack of fliers from Aang before heading out to put them on the walls of the Lower Ring.

---

A flier fell from the sky, practically landing quite literally in his lap from where he sat on the top of an abandoned portico, and Zuko frowned when his eyes scanned the words on the page. He had known the Avatar's bison, Appa, was missing. Katara told him. But the fact that they had been in the city for over a month and they hadn't gotten any help spelled trouble for them.

His eyes flickered up to the rooftops where he saw a robed man running by. A Dai Li agent. Perhaps they knew something.

Zuko fought the smirk was twitched the corner of his lips and stood. The peacekeepers in Ba Sing Se would definitely know something. The stench of corruption was stinging his nose, and he was aching to get to the bottom of it.

He strode back to the apartment, careful to watch his steps in case he was being followed - or Spirits-forbid, was discovered like he had almost been with Jet - and slipped back into the building complex without much fanfare. Iroh was already inside and it looked like he was starting to pack up their meager belongings.

"Nephew!" he greeted with a wide grin.

"Uncle," Zuko replied as he rose his lone eyebrow with his added question, "What's going on?"

"Oh, that is right," Iroh stated as he stood and made his way to the stove to stir some sort of food cooking there. "We are no longer working for Pao-"

"What?" Zuko blinked a few times in surprise. His heart started to flutter in panic as his mind immediately went to Katara and her friends and he instantly concluded they had ousted them to Pao and now they were going to have to flee Ba Sing Se-

"It's not like that, nephew," Iroh broke into his thoughts, his voice taking on a soothing quality. "I know where your mind is going, and your lovely friend did not get us into trouble. On the contrary, a man named Quon has offered to become my business partner and open a teashop that I would own in the Upper Ring."

Zuko's heart did not cease its racing, but he relaxed slightly. "Oh."

Iroh merely grinned at his understated reaction, and Zuko surmised it was because he understood Zuko's lack of empathy towards Iroh's tea-related dreams. That, or it was because Zuko nearly had a panic attack and didn't have the emotional capacity to express his pride towards his uncle's achievement after expending all his emotions just moments ago.

"I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it."

Zuko shook his head, breaking himself from his thoughts and seeing Iroh had moved back to the table to pack up more things. He took a deep breath to steady himself and refrained from snipping back, instead he revealed the flier and stated, "The Avatar has lost his bison."

Iroh's smile fell and he took the flier, reading its contents, before sighing and placing it face-down on the table. "We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."

Zuko was staring out the window, eyes lost towards the Upper Ring, and he replied, "I won't stir trouble."

"For some reason, I do not believe you, nephew," Iroh claimed with that skeptical look in his eyes. "There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want from your life and why."

Zuko did not grace him with a response. Instead, he went straight to his room and shut the door behind him. Quietly, he padded over to his bed and reached between the futon and the frame, then pulled out a bundle of fabric. He unraveled it slowly, revealing more and more blue as the black was discarded onto the floor. When his eyes met the empty glare and wide grin of the Blue Spirit, he finally let his lips pull into a smaller smirk.

All he would have to do was wait for night.

Luckily for him, Iroh slept like a rock and didn't notice when he slipped through the window in the kitchen with an extra sack of fabric that he had been tending to all afternoon - holed up in his room like the grumpy teenager he knew he was appearing to be. He climbed from the balcony to the roof, carefully shifting his package so it was more secure, then sped off. He ran from building to building, careful to keep his steps light and rounded, and quickly slipped down the wall of a building to hide in an alley.

There, he set up his trap. A grin mirroring his glared back at him, then he nodded before darting off. There was bound to be at least one Dai Li agent skulking nearby, so no matter where he ran he knew he'd be able to rope one in to his trap.

Not even ten minutes into his stalking around the block did he find an agent monitoring the street. Quickly, Zuko darted past him and shouted, "Out of my way, skinny!"

He heard the man gasp in surprise and shift to attack with his bending, but Zuko was quick to dart around the corner to the alley that held his trap. He dodged the decoy and hid behind a pile of empty crates, and waited.

He heard footsteps ring into the alleyway, then the distinct sound of a rock glove shooting through the air to hit his decoy. He watched the head of the fake Blue Spirit get forcibly separated from the hay-stuffed body and land further down the alleyway. The Dai Li agent passed his hiding place, still on guard, then as he observed the damage to the stuffed head with confusion, Zuko slipped out of his shelter and unsheathed his Dao swords.

The sword sidled up to the man's neck and Zuko pressed his chest against his back. As lowly as he could, he muttered in the man's ear, "If you don't want to end up like him, you'll do what I say."

It seemed the Dai Li agent was more interested in living than betraying his employer, so rather than fighting a peace-disturber like Zuko he quickly told him everything he wanted to know, including the location of Appa and the Dai Li's involvement in its capture.

"Lead me there," Zuko ordered as he pressed the blade a little closer to the man's throat.

"T-to Lake Laogai?" he asked incredulously, though he started walking when Zuko shoved him to move. They continued for a few moments in silence, moving deeper into the bowels of the Lower Ring, until the Dai Li agent spoke again, "Even if I get you there, once you're in, you'll be caught."

Zuko smirked under his mask. "You underestimate my skills, earthbender."

"What's in it for you, thief?" the man spat as they turned a corner towards an open courtyard.

"Let's just say I have a vested interest in an asset within the walls," Zuko hissed. They stopped in the center of the courtyard and for the length of five breaths, neither of them moved. "Why are we here?"

"If you let me go, I will show you," the earthbender replied.

Zuko scoffed. "Unlikely."

"There is a passage," the man quickly added. "This is where the bison was captured to be transported to the headquarters."

Zuko mulled over the information for a long minute before he relaxed his grip and dropped his swords. "If you're lying, I'll leave your head in your lap with your guts as a crown. Got it?"

He could actually hear the man swallow as he stepped forward and did the motions to move the earth out of the way. A passage revealed itself, dark and narrow, and Zuko pinned a disbelieving stare - well, as best as he could with his mask - at the man.

"You can't honestly think I would believe the Avatar's flying bison fit down there."

"This is the opening for the Dai Li," the earthbender remarked. "Once you're down there, you will see."

Zuko frowned behind his mask and poked the man with the tip of his sword. "Lead the way, then."

The Dai Li agent made his way through the hole - not without a fearful look at his captor - and Zuko swiftly followed. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he was greeted with an eerie green light that lit up the entire tunnel - a wide and tall space that would have certainly fit the Avatar's bison. The man led the way, fearfully glancing back at Zuko every few minutes.

Zuko narrowed his eyes and focused on his surroundings. "You have a name, earthbender?"

The man seemed surprised that Zuko even asked him that sort of question, but he quickly shook off his shock before answering, "Ling. My name is Ling."

"Okay, Ling," Zuko rolled his name on his tongue, remembering his face and his name for the future. "If the Dai Li have custody of the Avatar's bison, why hasn't he been informed of such? He is the Avatar, after all."

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se," Ling replied immediately, a practiced response. "If the Avatar knew we had his bison, then more and more people within the walls would be aware of the war outside. His mere existence in the city is foreboding to the balance we have painstakingly kept within the walls for the past century."

"There are refugees starving every day within the Lower Ring," Zuko countered with a bitter taste. "Others dying of illnesses from the unsanitary conditions or overcrowding. The people in the Lower Rings are all too aware of the war, so why keep denying it?"

Ling seemed to swallow thickly and guilt seemed to tighten his shoulders. "To be honest, not all of us agree with Long Feng's methods, but we understand why things must be done the way they are done. The Avatar has done nothing wrong yet, but in order to prevent mass chaos within the city we have to ensure that he does not fall out of line. His bison is collateral."

Zuko's scowl pulled even more on his lips. "That sounds a lot like oppression to me."

"Is it?" Ling questioned as he turned a corner, Zuko following closely still. "Are we any worse than the Fire Nation, who kill and maim people, even their own people, in order to enslave the whole world?"

His left eye twitched and he fought the urge to press the ruined skin underneath his mask.

"We are the last true stronghold against the Fire Nation's regime. What we do has worked for one hundred years, and will work for a hundred more."

Zuko gritted his teeth and refused to snarl and release fire from his tightened lips. "Denying the truth doesn't change the facts. One way or another, the war will reach the inner walls. And getting on the Avatar's bad side will be your downfall, believe me."

He tried not to think of the worrying sensation of that statement applying to himself more so than to Ling and the Earth Kingdom.

Ling stopped at the entrance of a wider hallway. He looked both ways before turning and looking down at Zuko. "I cannot condone what my superiors have done, but I also cannot challenge nor change it. Though I hope that our discussion has made you change your own mind in regards to what we have done and will do in the future to protect the people of the Earth Kingdom."

Zuko lowered his sword slightly and cocked his head to the side in a frustrated question. "You don't seem to resistant to bringing me here. Why?"

Ling looked over his left shoulder and a torn look crossed his face. "Sometimes, an attempt to sway another's opinion changes your own instead."

He considered letting Ling flee, but he knew that it would be unwise to let him run off and possibly alert someone else of Zuko's presence within the stronghold. Regretfully, he quickly knocked Ling's conical hat off of his head and slammed the pommel of his sword against Ling's temple. The surprise was not lost on the earthbender's face, even as he crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap. Zuko quickly snagged the hat off the stone floor and tossed it back into the hall that they had emerged from and dragged Ling by his feet into the shadows.

"I apologize for this," he murmured sincerely. "Though I truly am grateful for your help."

With that, he bolted down the hall that Ling had looked down in his moment of vulnerable reflection. His footsteps barely echoed down the halls, quieter than leaves hitting grass, and he rounded a corner just to spot a door at the end of the hall that was guarded by two men. He cursed under his breath when they spotted him, so he quickly darted over to them - deflecting their earth gloves in the process with the swords in his hands- and he quickly took them out with a kick to one head and a hard shove against the wall to the other.

He caught his breath, only sparing a moment, before he pushed open the door they had been guarding and stepped inside. Shackled to the floor - and clearly dirty and unfed - was the Avatar's bison, Appa. The sound of the door closing alerted him enough to look over and take in his rescuer's appearance.

"Expecting someone else?"

Appa groaned, a deep rumbling sound he recognized from the cold months he spent chasing it, and Zuko approached it cautiously. He seemed to size Zuko up before standing and lashing against his bonds. His roar was weak, but still deep and loud as it rang around his prison chamber.

"Calm down," he hissed. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm going to get you out."

The bison stopped his thrashing and stared at him with those big cow eyes. After a long moment, he sank back down to the floor with a pitiful grumble. Zuko grinned to himself and approached the bison's flank. His fur was matted and knotty, not to mention he seemed thinner than he had been before. Zuko was familiar with that plight of fleeing for one's life.

"Now how to get you out of here..."

The sound of the door opening again caused Zuko to whirl around, swords at the ready, and stare down his potential attacker. After all, he had been a little clumsy taking care of the guards outside. For all he knew, more could have come already and saw their fallen comrades.

What he did not expect was Iroh stepping in and closing the door behind him.

"Uncle?"

Iroh cupped his chin in faux introspective commentary and remarked casually, "So, the Blue Spirit. I wonder who could be behind that mask..."

Zuko sighed, knowing what he was playing at, and removed his mask. "What are you doing here?"

Iroh frowned with disappointment - truly for the first time since Zuko had been banished - and replied, "I was just about to ask you the same thing."

Zuko looked back at Appa, who's big eyes were locked on him in what he could only pinpoint as apprehension. He had every right to be afraid, Zuko mused. But not this time...

"What do you plan to do now that you've found the Avatar's bison?" Iroh continued, as if he did not see Zuko's inner thoughts. "Keep him locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?"

"First I have to get it out of here-"

"And then what?!" Iroh cut in sharply, causing Zuko to flinch. He had never heard Iroh raise his voice like this. Chills ran down his spine and his heart seized in panic as it reminded him of - "You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go!"

Zuko fought his grimace as he turned his back completely to his Uncle, his stare hard and focused on Appa's bound feet as he got defensive and hard. "I would have figured something out!"

"No!" Zuko fought the flinch at the shout this time. "If his friends hadn't found you, you would have frozen to death!"

When Zuko didn't reply, instead clenching his fists as hard as he clenched his teeth, Iroh took a step towards him and placed his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I know you are focused on what you consider your destiny, but I want you to consider this: is it your own destiny, or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?"

His hands were shaking. Despite his claims - despite his promise - he had the chance. He could go home, he could leave this sewer behind. Return to the Fire Nation, return to his father as a proud son. Get his life back to a semblance of normalcy, at least as much as he could considering...

"Stop it, Uncle."

"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko!" Iroh plead softly, yet deafening in his roaring ears. It was the first time someone had called him a Prince in a very long time. That thought alone almost made Zuko break. "It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do you want?"

His hands were outright shaking now, trembling like he was a leaf in the wind, and Zuko's heart threatened to burst from his chest. His outrage, his grief, his pain, his desolation all culminated at once and erupted from his heart. With a shout, Zuko threw his swords and mask to the ground, followed by his knees.

---

It all happened so fast: Jet getting hurt, rushing out of the hideout underneath Lake Laogai, Appa finding them when they were surrounded by Dai Li agents. Katara's heart couldn't handle any more of the past few hours, and surely she was going to pass out from exhaustion after running all over Ba Sing Se to find Appa.

Though finding a note scribbled on what appeared to be paper torn from a book broke her from her exhausted daze. It addressed to her and attached to his horn. While they were resting on a small island in the middle of Lake Laogai, she unfurled the ripped paper and read its contents:

"He needs food and a bath. I will be in touch."

Her heart stuttered in her chest and she spun around to look at Appa. Aang was currently hugging his nose, his own face pressed into the dense fur, and Katara was able to see what the note had been referring to: Appa's fur was matted and dirty, and he seemed thinner, even clear through his massive coat.

But they had some important things to take care of, first.

Meeting with the Earth King was a hassle, but successful. Afterwards, once Long Feng had been arrested and the corruption and cover-up were revealed, Katara sat down in Long Feng's office with Aang, Sokka, and Toph, where General How had given them all information that Long Feng had apprehended. As they discussed their next plans, the letter that had been tied to Appa's horn weighed heavily in her pocket. She ran her hand over it, mulling it over as Sokka and Aang started talking out what needed to happen in order for their plans for the eclipse to unfold properly.

Had Zuko freed Appa from the Dai Li's hold? It was his handwriting on the note, but there was no telling clues other than the faint similarity to the words that had been printed on the back of the coupon. But why would he have freed Appa? And how did he figure it out and get there before they had?

She had so many questions that she yearned to get answered, but with the next steps in their plans against the Fire Nation were taking precedence.

"Someone has to stay here with the Earth King and help him plan for the invasion," Sokka said as he stood, breaking Katara out of her thoughts. "I guess that's me."

In her head, she thought about the fact that Sokka had wanted to see their father so badly, so much more than she did, but he was quick to sacrifice his want for the needs of the war. Besides, she wasn't sure if she could face her father for leaving them so quickly after their mother died. So she stood as well and turned to her brother, "No, Sokka. I know how badly you wanna help Dad. You go to Chameleon Bay. I'll stay here with the king."

His joy was clear as tears - actual tears - brimmed in his eyes and he danced in his spot, "You are the nicest... sister... ever!"

He wrapped his arms around her in a big hug as he smacked a big kiss on her cheek. "Easy there, big brother..." She smiled and chuckled with mirth, her inner thoughts from earlier all but forgotten, "Though you're right. I am."

After that, they parted ways; Sokka and Aang to Chameleon Bay, and Toph to an address in the Upper Ring to meet with her mother. Katara was told the meeting with the Council of Five would not be until a few more days, so she had time to relax and prepare herself.

More like take a bath and a day-long nap.

However when she reached their home, a scroll was tied to their door. A brown ribbon was wrapped around it with a seal she did not recognize, so she took it gingerly before going inside. Once the door was shut, she untied the ribbon and broke the seal with her thumb, then slowly unrolled it. Unfamiliar handwriting met her eyes, but the first name made the knot of worry in her chest lessen.

"Hello Miss Katara, Avatar Aang, Master Sokka, and Lady Toph,

Lee and I will be opening the Jasmine Dragon in the Upper Ring at the end of this week. I have attached a card with the address of our new apartment and the teashop. Lee is currently feeling quite under the weather, so we have yet to move to our new home. Once he feels better and we have gotten settled in, I will send you another letter.

It was so nice seeing you all the other day,

Uncle."

Katara clutched the letter a little closer to her chest and looked out the window towards the large wall that separated the Upper Ring from the rest of Ba Sing Se. Was it really longer than just yesterday that she saw Iroh and Zuko at the little teashop in the Lower Ring? She could have sworn it had only been one day...

But then again, running into Jet almost right after leaving the teashop, figuring out the location of the Dai Li headquarters that night, and then going straight to Lake Laogai the morning after. They had spent only a few hours in there, but between running away from the Dai Li, running into the Earth King, and then bringing him back to the lake the next day, she hadn't really focused on how much time had elapsed since they had started their quest to free Appa.

And Zuko was sick? Maybe that was why he had acted so strange at the teashop before storming out. But that wouldn't make sense if he had gone to free Appa for them. He wouldn't have been able to if he was sick. Perhaps he had gotten sick under the lake itself, but that would mean that she and her friends would be susceptible to the sickness, as well.

She suddenly felt the need to go visit him at their Lower Ring apartment as soon as possible.

Well, at least not before bathing.

Once she was cleaned up, she hailed a carriage and made her way down to the Lower Ring, going to the address that Zuko had scrawled on the back of their coupon - in which she had written on a slip of paper before they had gone to the teashop the other day. They pulled up to an old, run-down building. There were three floors, and based on the numbering of the apartments it seemed Zuko and Iroh lived on the second floor. She quickly tipped her carriage driver and hustled up the stairs and over to their door, then knocked twice.

She heard a soft groaning, likely Iroh based on the gravely tone, and soft padding of feet coming towards the door. It swung open, revealing the retired general's weary face, and Katara smiled.

"Surprise?"

"Miss Katara!" he gasped with something she could only call relief. "A pleasant surprise, indeed. What brings you to our humble home?"

She held up the letter from him and grinned sheepishly. "You said Lee was sick. I thought I could come check up on him."

Iroh glanced behind her, eyes darting back and forth, before he nodded and stepped aside to let her in. Katara entered their modest home, taking in the sparse decorations on the green walls, before her eyes went to open bedroom door to the left. As he led her over, he said in his tired voice, "I do not think it is an illness that you can aid him with, I am afraid. But the company would be nice."

She frowned when they reached the door. "What do you mean?"

Iroh sighed and looked into the room. Katara followed his gaze to see the bundle of blankets atop a mattress, huddled and clearly shivering under the warmth of the afternoon sunlight coming through the open window.

"This is a spiritual sickness," he said simply. "I experienced one myself after my son died. I told Zuko when he was lucid for a moment that he was going through a metamorphosis, and it will take a while, but he will end this journey as the beautiful prince I know he truly is meant to be."

Katara approached Zuko and knelt down near his head. She pushed his matted bangs away from his clammy forehead and was surprised when he unconsciously pushed his face into her touch and shivered. Her frown pressed hard between her brows. "How long is it supposed to last?"

"As long as he still remains conflicted about his decisions," Iroh responded cryptically.

She frowned even harder. "What does that mean? What decision?"

Iroh knelt on the opposite side of Zuko and patted his nephew on his covered shoulder. "He did something that goes against everything he was raised to believe, despite any lies that he has told himself. By freeing the Avatar's bison, It was in such conflict with him image of himself that he is now at war within his own mind and body."

"Oh," Katara softly murmured as she looked back down at Zuko's prone form. So he had helped free Appa. "What does that mean for Zuko, specifically?"

The look on Iroh's face was pained, but also proud. "He should wake up with a clear mind and heart, knowing what is truly the best for himself and his path to his destiny."

"So I probably shouldn't try to speed the healing process then," Katara deduced with a sad smile. Her eyes drifted back to Zuko and how his face was tilted towards hers, pinched in pain but still slack in sleep. Iroh nodded silently, so she brushed Zuko's hair off his forehead one more time before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to his warm forehead. "Why don't you freshen up and get something to eat? I'll watch over him until you're ready to come back."

Iroh's brows furrowed with curiosity, eyes lingering where Katara had kissed his nephew. "Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you."

Katara nodded and her fingers idly played with Zuko's damp hair. "It's no problem at all."

Iroh stood and patted her on the top of her head before he slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him. She heard him leave the apartment after a few moments, and as soon as she was certain he was gone, she looked down at Zuko and smiled. "You're something else, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."

To her surprise, he groaned and his eyes squinted open, the color like burnt honey in his delirium. He coughed and shivered, then rolled over so his face was pressed against the side of her leg. With his rough voice, he murmured her name and coughed again.

She couldn't help but smile and brought some water from the basin under the window to her hand. She froze it around her fingers, then pressed the ice to his forehead. His face pulled into a grimace at the cold before he visibly relaxed into her touch, his sigh soft and almost blissful.

"Something else entirely," she murmured as her other hand carded through his hair again.

She passed the time humming old Water Tribe lullabies to him and telling him of their meeting with the Earth King right after Appa returned to them. She deliberately left out the plans about the eclipse and the invasion, knowing full and well that he wouldn't like the idea of attacking his people when they were at their weakest. Instead she told him of the liberation of the corruption and how it was in part thanks to him freeing Appa for them.

Though that seemed like something he would grumble about and call treason. With him being asleep, he couldn't argue with her reasoning.

While Katara was running some water all over Zuko's body, wicking away the sweat and grime that had accumulated during his sickness, Iroh returned to the apartment, freshly bathed and looking refreshed. Katara smiled as he walked back into the bedroom, ran her water over Zuko one last time before discarding it out the window. She pressed one last kiss to his forehead before she stood and brushed out her skirt. Iroh seemed surprised at this action, looking back and forth between her and his nephew before he deflated a little.

"You do not have to leave," Iroh insisted with his own soft smile. "I'm sure Zuko would enjoy the company."

"It's fine, Iroh." She gave him a respectful bow and smiled. "I've been rushing around for the past three days and I could really use a nap. Though sitting here with Zuko was quite relaxing, I miss my bed. Just let me know when you both are settled in in the Upper Ring and I'll come visit again, okay?"

Iroh simply nodded and led her to the door. Silently, he hugged her - a shock, truly - and he gave her a grateful smile.

"What was that for?" she asked when her cheeks turned red.

It was a secretive smile, now, and he shrugged as he said, "My nephew has never had many friends, and they ones he has made in the past have either turned on him or preferred his sister. Having someone like you in his life will be beneficial to his heart, even if he doesn't realize it yet."

With rosy cheeks, she left without asking him the meaning of his statement, and let it mull over in her mind as her carriage brought her back to the Upper Ring. When she arrived back at her empty home, she realized that Iroh may have been saying that her influence had swayed Zuko under the lake, perhaps even helped him make up his mind about helping Appa.

Or maybe she was just hoping he'd consider what she offered him that night. Either way, she had to see him again. And soon.

---

Zuko woke at sunrise to the smell of something absolutely delightful. He rubbed his eyes, yawned heavily, and pulled himself out of his new bed before going to his closet to get dressed. He and Iroh had moved the day before, right as his fever broke, and after he took a much needed bath he spent the rest of the day and night sleeping in his new bed.

It was strange, the whole sickness. He remembered bits and pieces - mostly the manic dreams, haunting songs, and the cooling touch of water against his burning skin - but mostly he was aware of the change in his mind. There was some sort of free sensation, as if tethers that had anchored him to his grief and struggles were suddenly cut, leaving him free of the confines that had been constricting him since the day he was scarred.

He was feeling a little unsettled over it, but his heart seemed so light the thought was fleeting as soon as he stepped out of his room and into the living area. As he rubbed his eyes again, he saw Iroh standing at the stove, stirring something, and he walked over. "What's that smell?"

Iroh turned around and eyed him strangely before turning back to the pot. "It's jook. I'm sure you wouldn't like it."

Zuko stepped closer and sniffed it, delighted to find it was the source of the scent that woke him, and he grabbed one of the bowls next to the stove. "Actually, it smells delicious. I'd love a bowl, Uncle."

Iroh's skeptical look grew, giving Zuko a pause, before he spooned out a portion and poured it into the proffered bowl as he said, "Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow."

Zuko couldn't help but smile as he made his way over to the table beneath the window and said, "It's a new day. We've got a new apartment, new furniture, and today's the grand opening of your new teashop. Things are looking up, Uncle."

The way Iroh's smile pulled up was not lost on Zuko, and he sighed with content as he started to eat his jook.

"We will need to leave here in about an hour to finish the preparations for the opening," Iroh commented as he sat down at the table with his own bowl. "Are you feeling well enough to join me for the opening?"

Zuko nodded and set his bowl down. "I wouldn't miss it."

Iroh's smile was contagious as he replied, "I am glad you are feeling better. There's no one I'd rather be by my side."

After they finished their food, Zuko cleaned up the dishes while Iroh went to change and get his things ready for the opening. While Zuko's sickness had gotten more mild and Iroh felt he could be left alone for a while, Iroh met with Quon to finalize their plans for the teashop and mostly all that needed to be done was create the opening day menu and get things cooking for the guests.

They set out of their apartment before the streets got busy and made their way over to the Jasmine Dragon down the street.

The early morning sunlight cracked through the trees lining the street, hitting Zuko's skin and warming him more than ever before. He took a deep breath, taking it all in, and he sighed with content as they turned the corner and walked up the stairs that led to the Jasmine Dragaon's front entrance. Iroh led him around the back and unlocked the side door, then ushered him inside. Just as they did at the old shop down in the Lower Ring, Zuko opened the windows and began taking down the chairs while Iroh went to the back and started prepping his work station for the tea he would inevitably prepare.

Apparently Quon had done lots of advertisement for the shop while Zuko had been sick and Iroh was anticipating a big crowd that would last the whole day. If he was honest, Zuko was looking forward to it. Moving around so much would stretch out the limbs he hadn't used in the week that he was sick. Plus, this was Iroh's dream. Though his uncle had never voiced it, after Lu Ten died Zuko knew he wanted a life of peace and simplicity. His love for tea was apparent even when Zuko was a child, enough for the mere concept to be permanently paired with the image of his beloved uncle.

And now, after years of following Zuko around and dealing with his petulant attitude and ungratefulness, Iroh was getting what his patience earned him.

The doors were opened mid-morning and quickly all of the tables were filled. The other servers Iroh had hired were quick to get orders taken and Iroh was even quicker to get the pots of tea started. More and more customers came and went, declaring their adoration for the tea and cakes that had been briskly served to them.

As the day moved on, Iroh stood with Zuko at the back of the store, marveling at the amount of people coming and going, and he said with humble honesty, "Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own teashop? Follow your passion, Zuko, and life will reward you."

Zuko couldn't help but smile as he replied, "Congratulations, Uncle."

The humble look remained on Iroh's face. "I am very thankful."

"You deserve it," Zuko said. Iroh met his eyes as he continued, "The Jasmine Dragon will be the best teashop in the city."

Iroh shook his head and smiled as he said, "No. I'm thankful because you decided to share this special day with me. It means more than you know."

That warm feeling that had been lingering in Zuko's chest the whole day swelled and he couldn't stop himself from hugging his uncle. Iroh was stunned - Zuko couldn't blame him - so to spare himself any embarrassment, he broke away and declared with a grin, "Now let's make these people some tea!"

As he walked to the back to grab more cakes and pull out more leaves for Iroh to use, the elder firebender announced just as jubilantly, "Yes, let's make some tea!"

---

The scroll was safe in her hands, on its way to the palace for Kuei's seal and then to be brought back to the Council of Five. She was determined to play her part, however small, while her friends were off making their own progress. Aang was with the Guru, Sokka was with their dad, and Toph was with her mom. Though the latter's was not as fantastic sounding as the others, the fact that her mother was willing to meet with her would likely bring Toph loads of emotional growth.

Something they would need in the upcoming months.

She sighed and tightened her grip on the scroll as she scratched Momo behind his ear. It had been a few days since everyone left, and since she visited the Lower Ring to see Zuko. It was strange, how quickly things were moving in regards to the plans for the eclipse. Sokka would be so proud that his plan was going into effect so efficiently, and she hoped Aang was getting some progress with the Guru. Spirits knew they needed some sort of edge when it came to defeating the Fire Nation.

In two months.

She wondered how Zuko would react to the knowledge that they were planning on taking out his father when he had no bending.

In fact, she wondered if he was able to work. She knew the Jasmine Dragon was opening today, due to the flier that Iroh sent to her the day before. She looked up to the lemur perched on her shoulder and asked, "What do you say, Momo? A cup of tea before we get back to the king?"

Momo chirruped and she dug out the flier from her pocket to find the address. Luckily for her, it was on the way to the palace and she would be able to swing in and out before she was set to meet with King Kuei. Plus, she would get to possibly see Zuko and check up on his health.

After walking for a short time, she came upon the Jasmine Dragon; a large building with a beautiful fountain in the front courtyard. She smiled at the clear crowd she could see inside and the amount of bustling people on the patio. So many people for their opening day. Iroh must be proud.

She stepped inside and looked to the hostess, bowing slightly as she said, "Table for two, please."

"Uncle!" She perked up at the familiar sound of Zuko's voice and spotted him walking towards the counter. His green robe over his clothing was charming, the gold embroidery matching the dragon motifs on the rugs. "I need two jasmine, one green, and one lychee!"

"I'm brewing as fast as I can!"

The hostess led her to a vacant table, one conveniently close to the counter and away from most of the others guests. Almost as soon as she was seated, Zuko walked over to the guests two tables away from her, set down their tray with the same finesse he had back in the Lower Ring shop, smiled genuinely at the patrons before turning on his heel to make his way to her. The moment his eyes met hers, he froze. And she smiled.

"Hey, Lee."

His stupor broke quickly and he hurried over to her. With a bow, he looked up at her and stated, "Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. I will be your server today. May I interest you in our specials today? Or do you have a particular blend in mind?"

Katara felt her lips pull into a wry smirk as she said, "That blend we had when we were at that private table would be nice."

"I can see about getting that blend for you." The way his good cheek turned a little pink was adorable. "How are you, Katara?"

"I'm good," she replied honestly, trying not to blush at her tiny train of thought. Her tone turned concerned, however, as she asked, "Are you feeling better?"

His eyes widened slightly and he shifted his weight. "How did you know about that?"

She couldn't help the way her cheeks heated as she averted her eyes. "I... came and visited you at your old apartment. Uncle told me about your sickness and since I wasn't doing anything... You were out cold the whole time I was there."

Zuko seemed to deflate a little - was he disappointed, maybe? - and he let out a slight breath before replying, "I'm sorry. I can make it up to you."

Katara didn't expect that, if she was being honest. She thought he would have brushed it off and gotten all puffy when she brought it up - most men did when their weaknesses were put on display - but instead he seemed earnestly apologetic.

It was strange seeing him like this.

She smiled and reached out to grab his hand. She couldn't help but notice how warm it was, just like last time. "I would like that. How about tonight? Aang and Sokka aren't in the city and Toph is with her mom, so I have no plans. At least, after I have to go to the Earth King's palace. When I'm done, I'll come back here. How's that sound?"

His cheek turned a little pink and he cleared his throat as he clutched his empty tray to his chest. "Sure. We close after sundown. You can just come see me then, yeah?"

She nodded and her smile grew, which in turn made Zuko's cheek turn to a dark shade of red before he bowed and scurried off to the back room where Iroh must have gone. The seasoned general poked his head out from the backroom, spotted her, and gave her a cheeky grin before popping back behind the curtain. Both came out - Iroh heading to the area where he prepped the tea behind the counter, and Zuko going to other tables to take more orders.

He didn't come back to her table until her tea and complementary cakes were ready.

"Made special for you," he declared as he poured her cup. "My Uncle said its on the house."

"Give my thanks to Uncle, then," she replied with a grin. "Also, I should be thanking you, too."

His lone eyebrow quirked up in bemusement.

"For freeing Appa," Katara clarified. When Zuko's eyes widened, she added, "Your note wasn't that subtle."

"I wasn't trying to be." Her wry grin returned as he blew some of his bangs out of his eyes and looked away. "It was the right thing to do. I may not have gone there with that intention, but in the end I did what I had to."

Katara took a drink of the tea, savoring its robust flavor, and she sighed, "Don't forget what I suggested. If I tell Aang that it was you that freed Appa, he'd be more inclined than before."

Zuko turned and met her eyes again, surprise evident in his eyes and slack jaw. "What?"

She shrugged. "After we went to visit you, he said he always thought you have good in you. I know you do. You proved it."

His gaze dropped and he took a slight step back. "I'll... think about it."

Without letting her reply, he spun on his heels and marched to the counter to get another order carried to the respective table. As she finished her tea, and Momo ate all the cakes, she tried to catch his attention but he had just been too busy. By the time she was done, he had met her eyes once but looked away almost immediately.

Her resigned sigh was enough to make Momo purr and rub his head under her chin.

"Thanks, Momo," she murmured as she scratched behind his ears. Zuko slipped into the backroom once again and she couldn't help but deflate. She needed to get going, and waiting around to talk to Zuko again was going to waste too much of her precious time, especially if she had to return the scroll to the Council of Five before sundown. "Let's get out of here."

She stood and left a hefty tip on the table for her cute waiter. She waved goodbye to Iroh, told him to tell Lee she was leaving, and then took the scroll and made her way out of the teashop. Zuko didn't chase after her - she expected that - and soon she was walking through the gates of the Earth King's palace. The staircase was long and grand, but her distracted mind had kept her occupied the entire walk up.

Was Zuko upset that she brought that up? Or was he acting so differently because of the sickness? Iroh did say that he was going through a metamorphosis, perhaps this change was what Zuko was truly like on the inside. Gone were the days of snippy attitude and slammed doors. That's what she hoped. All she could hope was that this new Zuko would be more inclined to help Aang defeat the Fire Lord. At least, once he got over that weird hot and cold thing he was doing.

But then again, Ozai was Zuko's father. He probably wouldn't want to be one hundred leagues of that conflict, unless it was to protect him.

Katara let out a despondent sigh as she reached the top of the stairs. Momo started chittering on her shoulder, the trilling sound almost nervous, but she chalked it up to her own anxiety over meeting with Zuko after she met with King Kuei and delivered the scroll back to General How. She was let into Kuei's throne room, not followed by the Dai Li agents that allowed her to pass, and quickly she noticed something was amiss. Kuei was not present, as she was led to believe he would be, and there were three Kyoshi Warriors kneeling in front of the throne, facing her as she approached.

Katara did not recognize any of these girls.

Maybe she was just being paranoid. Maybe Suki was with Kuei at the moment, and these girls were from one of the other villages on the island and joined them.

But why would the one up front wear Suki's headband?

"I'm sorry, but where is King Kuei?" she asked. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on the scroll. "I have to deliver this to him for his signature."

What was it Sokka always said? Never deny your instincts.

She took a slight step back when the one up front stood and started to approach her. A glint of gold in her eyes made her breath catch and her mind immediately go to Zuko.

"I can certainly get it to him for you," the girl said in a silken voice that Katara instantly recognized. She would never forget it, not when it meant doom and disaster if she heard it in the halls of the Earth King's palace. Never deny your instincts.

Her free hand flew to her water skin while Momo screeched and flew off at the movement. The girl to the right - Ty Lee, she knew it - leapt into the air and with a sudden and divisive pinch to a space on her shoulder, Katara fell into a graceless heap on the ground. She couldn't feel her entire body, paralyzed completely, and watched as her water puddled on the ground beneath her.

She couldn't even feel that.

The three girls hovered over her, Azula opening the scroll and reading its contents with apt interest. "So the foolish king wasn't lying. I'm sure my father would be pleased to have this insight."

"Where are the others?" Ty Lee asked Azula. "I was hoping to see the cute one."

"If we have her, they'll come," Azula declared as she rolled up the scroll and tucked it under her arm. "Especially the Avatar. Lock her up in the caves."

Katara had no time to react before Ty Lee bent over and hit her in the nape of her neck, blacking her out completely.

---

Zuko stood at the entrance of the teashop, sweeping the same spot for what felt like the hundredth time since the store officially closed. He watched the streets, where less and less people were milling about as the sun dipped beneath the horizon. A frown pulled his lips, tugging at the edges of his scar, and he narrowed his eyes at the shadows of Dai Li agents scurrying across the rooftops.

"Uncle?" he called without taking his eyes off of the silhouette standing on the building across the courtyard.

"Yes, nephew?" Iroh called back. The sound of him shuttering up a window and putting up a chair echoed through the empty shop.

Zuko set the broom against the wall inside the door and he untied his apron. "I'm going to step out. I'll just meet you at home."

A suggestive look crossed Iroh's face. "Meeting Miss Katara, eh?"

Zuko fought the flush that burned his cheeks and turned on his heel after he laid his apron on the hostess stand. As he stepped out, he replied, "Something like that."

As he walked out into the darkness of night, he kept glancing over his shoulder to see that same silhouette following him from the rooftops. He wasn't even being subtle about it. Immediately after turning a corner, Zuko ducked into an alley and hid behind a crate. The person - clearly a Dai Li agent now - slid down the side of the opposite building and crept into the alleyway. His arms were raised, ready to fight, and Zuko crept behind him before wrapping his arm around the man's neck.

"Why are you following me?"

The man stiffened and his head turned slightly. "I recognize your voice-"

Zuko recognized his, as well. "Ling?"

His arms slackened and Ling ducked out of his grip. He spun on his heels and faced Zuko, eyes wide with surprise, and lowered his hands. "You're just a kid."

Zuko frowned and folded his arms across his chest. "What are you doing?"

"Patrolling," Ling said in the most matter-of-fact tone. "And I wasn't following you."

Eyes narrowed. "I'm sure."

"Slipping into an alleyway was suspect, regardless of who you are," Ling replied in a curt tone. "I came to investigate. There's an issue with opioids in the Upper Ring and we try to prevent it from killing people. Most of the bad ones come into these alleys to enjoy themselves."

"Oh." Zuko shifted his foot, not forgetting his mission. "Have you been to the palace today?"

"Planning on breaking in?" Ling clipped with a disapproving frown.

"My friend went there this afternoon and was supposed to meet with me afterwards," Zuko replied. He was suddenly grateful that the moonlight was prohibiting Ling was truly seeing his face aside from his good eye. "Any insight?"

"Maybe she just stood you up." Ling's retort was sharp and dismissive, but it was also his downfall.

Zuko's lips pulled into a smirk. "I never said anything about this friend being a girl."

Even in the shadows, Zuko could see the color leaving Ling's face as he stumbled back and started sputtering out excuses. Too bad Zuko was quick and pounced, tackling the earthbender to the ground and wrapping his left hand around his throat while lighting a focused bolt of fire off of his fingertip of the right. The man's fear flickered in the light in his eyes.

"What happened to her?"

Ling shook his head and swallowed against the hand against his throat. "I know nothing."

Zuko tightened his grip and moved the fire closer to Ling's temple. "That's a lie."

He heard the man groan under his breath, something like, "why is it always me?" before he sighed and tapped Zuko's wrist.

A surrender.

Zuko let him go and stood. Ling stayed on the ground, looking at the fire that still flickered on his fingers, and he said, "The Kyoshi Warriors that are in the palace are impostors. They're working with the Dai Li under Long Feng's orders to take out the Earth King in a coup. Apparently the girl you're looking for came in and the women disguised as the Warriors decided to imprison her. She must have known who they are."

A sinking feeling filled his gut as he put out his fire and asked dreadfully, "What do the warriors look like?"

Ling stood, brushed himself off, and replied, "All about the same height, only one had brown hair, the other two black. The brown haired one likes to flip around and one of the black haired ones was practicing a lot of knife throwing while they were speaking to us regarding the coup. And the last was -"

"Scary beyond all reason?" Zuko couldn't help but ask, his stomach falling in fear.

Ling nodded and he wiped his forehead. Zuko noticed that his finger lingered near a scar on his right cheek. It hadn't been there when they met. "Terrifying. The Fire Princess is ruthless."

"You know who she is?" The knot got even tighter and Zuko fought the urge to vomit.

Ling nodded. "The other Dai Li agents ignore that fact because they feel betrayed by the Earth King and the Council of Five. It's all because of the Avatar and his friends, so they felt no qualms with imprisoning your friend."

"Fuck," Zuko hissed as he stepped back and ran his hands through his hair. Katara had been captured by Azula, trapped in the Earth King's palace. Azula was in Ba Sing Se, working with the Dai Li to overthrow the Earth King. Zuko deduced immediately that she was working with the Dai Li only to double cross them in order to claim Ba Sing Se in the name of the Fire Lord.

This was about to get all kinds of fucked up.

He turned to Ling and grabbed the man by his shoulders. "Can you take me to where Katara is imprisoned? I need to break her out and find the Avatar so he can stop this."

"It's already happening, kid," Ling replied sharply. "There's nothing you can do to stop it."

Zuko relit the fire in his hand and thrust it close to Ling's face, illuminating his own in the process. "Tell me where she is."

Ling's eyes darted back and forth, recognition filling his features as his jaw dropped in surprise. "P-Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation?!"

"Not a Prince anymore," Zuko spat. "Tell. Me. Now."

"The Crystal Catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se, beneath the palace."

Zuko put out the fire and tugged Ling towards the streets. "You're going to take me there."

Ling was quick to help him, leading him through the streets of the Upper Ring towards the palace. They stopped by a storefront and Zuko purchased a waterskin for Katara and filled it with water from a stream that they crossed over. They entered the palace grounds through a tunnel in the middle of the stone wall and Ling led him to a hidden grove near the side of the palace itself. He even went as far as opening a deep tunnel in the ground that would lead to the cavern in which Katara was being held. Ling's help was invaluable in finding Katara and getting her to safety, Zuko knew this. If Azula was holding her, she was definitely being used as bait for the Avatar.

Overthrowing Ba Sing Se and snagging the Avatar in one fell swoop? Father would throw her a festival when she returned home.

That knot in his stomach got even tighter.

"Close this after I get to the bottom," Zuko told Ling. The man rose his eyebrows in confusion before Zuko elaborated, "I can't have anyone follow me. I'll find Katara, and you find my Uncle and the Avatar. Tell them what is happening and get someone back here to get us out."

"They probably imprisoned her in a room with no entrance," Ling countered. "You'll need me to open the wall."

Zuko frowned. "I can't break her out this early. Azula will know there's a defector if you break her out with me. Katara told me herself that none of her friends are in town. They wouldn't be able to save her this quickly."

"But then you'll be trapped in there with her until they show up - if they show up."

That was something he didn't truly think about. He tried not to wince at his impulsiveness. Especially when it came to Katara. He cursed under his breath.

"You didn't really think this through, did you?" Ling sighed, as if he read Zuko's thoughts. Zuko's frown deepened and he remained silent, so Ling merely deflated and shook his head. "Fine. Then I'll go with you, let you in, and you can keep her safe until I get your uncle. Deal?"

Zuko nodded with gratitude before he leapt into the hole. The tunnel was at a slant, one steep enough that Zuko could slide down on the soles of his shoes without losing his balance. He reached the bottom pretty quickly, Ling following right behind him. They nodded to each other, resolute to stay quiet, and turned away from their entrance.

Immediately, Zuko was shocked by the appearance of this cavern - green crystals lighting up the entire place, a miniature river cutting through the room, and a waterfall coming from a hidden hole in the ceiling. It was massive, and Zuko had no idea where they were going to start.

Voices started to echo from the other side of the cave, so Zuko pulled Ling with him and ducked behind a stalagmite. He peered over the edge, hoping to see who was coming. Not a second later, two Dai Li agents walked out and they were murmuring amongst themselves.

"... until the Avatar arrives?" one stated. Though he was trying to be quiet, their voices carried all over the place.

"That's her plan," the second replied. "Capturing his friend will lure him here. The Princess wants to ensure no one can challenge the takeover."

Zuko glanced and noticed that one was carrying a bowl. His eyes darted to where they had come from, then back to their approaching forms.

"But imprisoning a master waterbender down here? What is she thinking?"

The second one sighed and he shook his head. "Perhaps having her so far underground, the Avatar will come for her and then be trapped. She hasn't quite filled us all in on the details."

"She hasn't told Long Feng everything, either."

The second one paused and turned to his comrade. They were so close to Zuko's hiding place that he could smell the plain rice that was in the bowl. "Shen, we cannot challenge their orders. We carry them out, for the peace in the Earth Kingdom."

"Having the Princess of the Fire Nation here isn't doing much for the peace," Shen replied, sounding as if he was pouting. "And going against the Avatar doesn't seem like it either, Po."

There was tense silence for a long moment, so long Zuko held his breath and hoped they wouldn't notice it from where they were standing. He met Ling's eyes and it seemed he was holding his breath just as cautiously. The silence was broken when a familiar and muffled shout came from the left walls near the waterfall.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU CRUSTY BARNACLE-BREATH RATS! COME AND FIGHT ME LIKE REAL MEN!"

Zuko smirked to Ling and watched carefully as the two Dai Li agents walked together over to a section of the wall, far away from the waterfall itself, and one shoved his foot into the ground. A shout of surprise came from the other side and then the other opened the wall for them to enter. A minute later, they returned and closed the wall behind them, then walked back to where they had entered. Zuko waited for five breaths before he and Ling to where they had gone through the wall.

"I'll open it up and close it right behind you, okay?" Ling said as he slid into his stance.

Zuko nodded and hesitated for a split second before extending his hand. "Thank you for your help."

Ling looked at it for a long moment, then clasped Zuko on his forearm - a gesture typically done by the Water Tribes and peasants, but it was a gesture of camaraderie that went beyond the nations. Zuko himself had only done it to his uncle once, right after his banishment, but he understood the meaning well enough. It seemed Ling did, as well, because a somber look crossed his face as he let go and opened the wall.

Zuko slipped in and it was shut behind him immediately. Before he even could process the environment, arms were wrapping around his neck and a body slammed into him.

"Zuko! Oh, Spirits!" Katara gasped into the skin of his neck. He tried not to shiver and he wrapped his arms around her waist. "What are you doing here?!"

"I came to rescue you," he said simply, as if it was obvious. "But we can't leave yet."

Katara pulled away from him, an affronted look on her face, and she replied, "Why not?"

"Azula is pulling a coup, and if you escape so quickly into your imprisonment, then she'll suspect someone is betraying her and might retaliate. We have to lay low until Uncle can meet up with your friends and get you all out of here."

"What about you?"

Zuko looked towards the wall in which he had come through and he sighed, "I'm not sure yet."

She shoved him then, moving away from him, and the disappointment was clear on her face. "You didn't even think this through, did you?"

A wry smirk broke out on his lips and he replied, "You're not the first person to point that out to me lately."

"You're a stupid man," Katara bemoaned as she strode over to a cluster of stalagmites and slumped to the floor. "Did you at least bring some water?"

He patted his side, where the small waterskin rested, and he replied, "It's not much, but it will help. There's a big river and waterfall on the other side of this wall, too, should a fight break out."

"That explains the noise," Katara murmured, a troubled look crossing her face. "Ty Lee blocked my bending so I haven't been able to feel it."

"Has she come down here lately?"

Katara shook her head. "No need to. She only chi blocked me the one time, when I realized who they were. It was a strong one, though. I couldn't even move."

Zuko made his way over to her and handed her the waterskin. She took a sip from it - they're probably withholding water from her, he thought furiously to himself - and she sighed as he sank down and sat next to her. There was a distant look in her eyes as she stared at the ground between her feet. Zuko was quiet, letting her sort out her thoughts, and watched the wall.

Ling needed to find Iroh. And then get word to the Avatar. Katara didn't tell him where they had all gone, but Iroh would know how to get word to him. Somehow.

And they would come and rescue them both and they would all get the hell out of Ba Sing Se, as fast as possible since Azula was there.

Zuko found no point in trying to fight, even though he was tired of running. He needed to face her, but Ba Sing Se was not his battle to fight. However...

"Before you ask," he started as he turned his head slightly in her direction, gaining enough of her attention that the waterskin was lowered from her face, "I'm not working with Azula. Finding out she was here is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you."

Katara's eyes narrowed and her fingers fiddled with the cap of the waterskin. "How can I be sure?"

"She's tried to kill me on more than one occasion," Zuko remarked instantly, the impact of those acts long dulled these past few months. "She'd rather me dead so she can claim the right as the next Fire Lord. Though I may be marked as a traitor, I'm still the Crown Prince. Nothing changes the fact that I can challenge her claim, should she try to take it."

Katara turned so her eyes were on his face. "I'm sorry. I can't help it."

He met her gaze and frowned. "Why?"

When her eyes flickered to his scar, he knew. She was just like the rest of them, seeing his scar as his mark of shame, as his punishment for being less than the loyal son the Fire Lord desired. The mark of the banished prince. No matter where he was, it followed him like a shadow; one that lingered in his sight with every decision he made and dream he created.

He tore his gaze away from her, trying not to huff as he pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "I get it."

"I'm sorry," she repeated as she placed her hand on his arm. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his tunic and he squeezed his eyes shut. He hated to admit she was just like everyone else, not when she had shown him such kindness and - dare he say it - love. "It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face."

He pinched his eyes closed even more and his fingers drifted to the mottled skin on his cheek. "I see."

Katara must have noticed, because her fingers were peeling off of his arm and he could feel her shift so she was kneeling in front of him. "That's not what I meant."

"It's okay," he replied roughly. It wasn't okay. "I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."

Katara pulled his fingers away from his face and Zuko chanced a look at her. She was leaning over him, face hovering closely to his, and unconsciously he let his legs straighten back out. Her fingers replaced his against the rough skin under his eye and he shuddered. In his moment of vulnerability, Katara swung her leg over his and settled into his lap. Her warmth enveloped him and unbidden, he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her a little closer.

The heat that had consumed him during their tryst in the alleyway returned and he tried not to let it take him over again. He would not sully her while they were imprisoned as his sister overthrew the Earth Kingdom government.

It didn't help that the way she caressed his scar reverently made his chest ache with something so fierce that his brain refused to think.

Then she was kissing him, soft and sweet and so loving that his breath was stolen into her pliant mouth. Zuko's eyes shot open, but he did not move away. She was still kissing him. But why?

The fact that he stilled under her touch apparently did not deter her. Instead, she settled a little closer to him and her hands slid up his neck to cup his face. Against his lips, she murmured his name. He shivered and the heat overtook him. He deepened the kiss and notched her hips up with his, lining them up as he had done in the alleyway. Her keen was swallowed by his hungry kiss - so frantic and overwhelming that his head was spinning even before her tongue swiped against his lower lip.

Frantic hands scrambled to grab something and Katara managed to slip her fingers under the folds of his robe and touch the heated skin of his chest. He shuddered again, trying his hardest not to succumb completely, and he mimicked her movements. Hands trailed up her thighs, sliding underneath the skirt of her dress, and he stopped band of her pants.

He broke their kiss, panting as he tried to settle himself, and he laid his forehead on her shoulder. His fingertips still pressed against the soft skin of her belly, a breath away from branding her.

"Zuko?"

He shook his head and pressed his lips to her throat. A choked sound came out of her and her hips jerked against him. The spark of sensation that shot through him made his fingers clench, and he had to fight the urge to bite down and shove his hand beneath her wrappings.

"I... Isn't it a bad time to be doing this?" he managed to ask, his voice rough and unsure.

Katara tightened her arms around his shoulders and she took in a deep breath. "I don't know."

His fingers flexed. "Someone could interrupt at any second."

"Isn't that part of the fun?"

He couldn't help but chuckle, "I never pegged you to be a thrill-seeker."

"Coming from the man who knows I stole a waterbending scroll from pirates."

Zuko smirked against her neck and pressed his nose to the tendons. She smelled like sweat and the tea he had made her that afternoon, plus that peachy flavor he had tasted during their alleyway tryst.

"How did we get from talking about my scar to making out, anyway?"

Katara giggled, a soft and lovely sound, and she tucked her hand under his chin so they could level their gazes. "You just looked so... despondent. I wanted you to know that I clearly didn't think of you in that way anymore. And that I think you're beautiful."

He didn't have time to feel flattered or embarrassed, as hr eyes moved to his scar and Zuko immediately felt his skin crawl. Everyone saw his scar, no matter the context. The first time people look at it, there is disgust and pity, then when they learn of its origin they are torn between shame and scorn. Though Katara's eyes, which had once looked at him with fear and resolute defiance, looked at him with reverence and sadness. Her hand, floating in the air in a silent question, lingered close enough for him to see but far enough to not cross any lines.

She didn't see him for the monster he had been, but the man he could be.

Zuko closed his eyes and let out a soft breath as her fingers pressed against the mottled skin of his cheek. His breath became staggered then, right when the sensation of her touch disappeared, and he knew she was feeling the scar truly for the first time. True, she had touched it when his identity was first revealed in the safety of the willow's branches, and again in the alleyway, but this time it seemed to touch him with focus and intent, not comfort or curiosity.

"How did it happen?"

He didn't open his eyes - out of fear or resignation, he didn't know - as he replied, "My father. A sign of my dishonor and shame for disrespecting him."

Katara's fingers pressed down a little more and he was afraid to see the anger in her eyes, for he knew it would match her voice. "That's despicable. What kind of father hurts his own son?"

"A father that's willing to burn the whole world along with me," Zuko replied evenly. He opened his eyes, finally seeing her fury and sadness as it spilled from her eyes. He lifted his free hand and wiped away the tears that had fallen with the pad of his thumb. "I've come to accept my punishment. I will never be free of my scar, but I can decide how it defines me."

"Would you like to be free of it?" Katara asked with an eerily even voice. "I can try to heal it."

Zuko shrugged and cast his eyes away from hers. "It's a scar. It can't be healed."

"I have water from the Spirit Oasis." She pulled a vial out of her loosened dress and showed him it as proof. "It has special properties so it may work."

His eyes went to the tiny charm, taking in the swirls of blue and the shining crescent moon on the stopper, and his heart raced unnaturally in his chest. He could be free, from his past and the reflection that reminded him of it so often. He could finally sever the last link to his past and move on to the peaceful life Uncle wanted for him in Ba Sing Se. He would finally turn away from that trauma for good.

That's if it even worked. For all he knew, the scar was too old and permanent to even regain feeling through her healing abilities. Special water or not.

Even then, if Katara was able to heal his scar, he could never return home.

If the war ends in his lifetime, he could never go back to the Fire Nation if he completely cut his last connection to his homeland. Conceding and removing the scar, his last reminder of his dishonor, he would be essentially saying he no longer deemed his honor worth the fight. The running would never stop, the hiding would be the only thing he had. His face would be unmarred, but his honor would forever be sullied if the Avatar was not returned to the Fire Nation and Ozai remained on the throne. If the war continued, so would his fight to remain anonymous and an enemy to his people.

He could never be free, even if the scar was gone. Nothing would change the facts that being Lee meant nothing if Azula was in Ba Sing Se and in the process of overthrowing the government.

With a sad smile, Zuko cupped his hand over the vial, lowering it away, and he murmured, "Save it for something important. It's too precious to waste on something that may not even work."

Katara looked crestfallen, as if she didn't understand why he was declining her gift. After a long moment, she nodded and tucked the vial back into her shirt, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hug him once again.

"The offer will always stand."

He pressed his face to her collar and realized his hand was still tucked into her shirt and about to slide into her pants. Carefully, he tried to remove it and salvage the intimate moment between them, but as soon as his fingers started to move, Katara jolted and her arms tightened around him.

Zuko froze and his fingers flexed. Katara's hips jerked again.

He pulled away from her and met her eyes, eyes that looked like the ocean under a full moon, and he kissed her.

This kiss was different, no less passionate than the ones before but the desperation and clumsiness was gone. Gone was the uncertainty, the lingering pain. Instead, he held her with all the gratefulness he could muster. For who could offer such a gift to someone like him?

Only Katara.

She deserved so much more than a runaway coward like him.

Boldly, Zuko took a breath and plunged his hand into her pants as he deepened the kiss. The second his tongue touched hers, his fingers met course hairs and damp skin. Her breath stuttered with a broken moan when his fingers brushed against a fold of skin he vaguely remembered Iroh telling him about during their cringe-worthy sex education lessons.

"Touch her here, Prince Zuko, and she will quiver at your prowess."

He had groaned and blushed furiously at the time, but now he was thanking Iroh for those wise words. Katara was indeed quivering as he rubbed slow and gentle circles around it. He was reminded of his own cock, throbbing with desire underneath her undulating hips, and how her mewling reactions to him touching her there reminded him of touching himself.

A swirl of his finger around the swelling nub and her corresponding moan told him that they were likely similar in nature.

The slickness of her fluids coated his fingers, giving him better traction in his exploring. As his tongue and lips occupied hers, swallowing her cries of pleasure, his hand made work of her cunt. His fingers dipped between her folds, caressing every inch of warm skin and picking up more and more of the slickness from her opening. However, the angle was starting to prove slightly painful for his wrist.

Zuko broke the kiss and murmured against her lips, "Turn around so your back is to me."

Katara moaned pitifully as his fingers slipped out of her pants and met his eyes, her own glazed over with lust and her cheeks flushed. "Why?"

"Better angle," he replied simply. At her hesitation, Zuko glanced to his hand, shining with her fluids, and he brought it to his mouth. With a slow drag of his tongue, he tasted her essence and watched as her eyes bulged and a whimper left her. Tangy, a little sweet, and completely Katara and delicious. His cock jumped and he groaned as he slid his tongue between his fingers to lap up the rest of it.

"Stop that or I might do something I regret," she snapped weakly, as if her will left her when his tongue darted out to taste her.

Zuko smirked and licked his lips. "Maybe I want to get a better taste later."

Later. After they escape Azula's prison and flee the great city. After he makes up his mind.

Later.

But that wasn't on his mind. All he cared about was right now.

When she didn't move, Zuko planted his hands on her hips and hoisted her up. Unfortunately, he didn't consider the fact that when she stood her womanhood would be directly in his face so he got a strong whiff of her heady scent, the same that lingered on his tongue. He was unable to control himself as he pressed his face to her crotch, hindered from truly touching her by her dress and pants, and he inhaled deeply as his lips mimicked a kiss to her lower lips. Katara's knees buckled at his actions and he tried not to let it get to his head.

Next time.

Right now, he had to touch her.

Katara turned around completely then lowered herself over his lap. While he was lost in the haze of her, she was wise enough to push her dress out of the way and lower her pants to her knees, giving him complete access to her. As soon as she was in place, Zuko latched his lips to her neck and started giving her kisses and little nibbles as one hand went straight to her pussy and the other cupped her breast through her dress.

"Zuk-oooh..."

Her moan was music to his ears.

His fingers played, plucking and rubbing, while his lips kissed every inch of her skin he could find on her neck and shoulders. He sucked on her ear, something Iroh had also told him would drive girls wild, and the bucking of her hips against his told him that the seasoned general was completely right.

He picked up the pace, switching from rubbing her to thrusting his finger inside of her, while his other hand plucked and rubbed her nipple with the pad of his thumb. His teeth grazed the tendon in her neck, sucking on it before moving down towards her shoulder and giving her another bite, and his fingers returned to her clit and started rubbing faster.

"Oh, fuck- I'm com-coming - " She cut herself off with a keening wail, body shaking as his fingers continued to swirl around that nub.

With all of her gyrating and moans of his name, Zuko was painfully aware of his own aching want, throbbing in time with his frantically beating heart. As Katara settled down from her peak, Zuko coaxed her back to earth and tried his best to alleviate his erection with deep breaths and not thinking about her naked core and hard nipples still in his hands. He could literally feel her womanhood fluttering and throbbing with the aftershocks of her orgasm and immediately all his mind could think of was that same pulsing warmth wrapped around his -

"Fuck," he hissed and flexed his hips up against her ass. The texture of his pants was distracting, but not as much as the plushness of her backside, still grinding slowly against him in her absent breathing. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder, focus wavering, and removed his hand from her center.

Katara let out a throaty laugh, low and slow, and she leaned more into him. "Wow..."

All he could do was nod. Anything else would jostle his cock and remind him of his need.

Katara must have read his mind, because her hands reached behind her to grasp his forearms, giving her more leverage to grind her hips down a little more against him and for him to let out a pitiful groan. Deftly, he imagined her smirking as she ground down against him even more and rotated in a slow circle.

A choked noise got trapped in his throat and his head dropped back against the glowing crystals behind him.

She stood, pulling up her pants in the process, and quickly sat back down on his lap - facing him this time. She kissed him hard on the lips, bringing him back to her, and her fingers slipped into his pants. As they wrapped around the shaft of his erection and a shock of sensation shot through his body, Zuko gasped and bit down on her lip. Katara licked where his teeth had dug in and started tugging.

All sense of time ceased to exist with every stroke. Her cool fingers pulled more pleasure out of him than his own ever could. Quickly - too quickly - Zuko felt the inevitable shock of his climax. His grunts and gasps were swallowed by Katara's eager lips and he spent himself all over her pumping hand and the inside of his pants.

She slowed herself down - both her hand and her lips - and Zuko sighed as the euphoric high warmed his blood and made his body sag. His hands loosely held her close, while his lips continued to move with hers.

He didn't know how long they stayed like that, cradled in each others arms and kissing lazily, but Zuko was starting to feel the wetness of his cum beginning to cool. He helped Katara pull herself out of his pants, then handed her the discarded waterskin near his hip. She quickly washed away his essence, then cast off the sullied water to the far corner of the cavern. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she gave him another peck before nuzzling up against his neck.

The silence was soothing, comforting. He had never felt this content to be held, nor had he ever felt the need to just hold someone like he was holding her. He was sure Ty Lee would call this cuddling, but there was something more intimate to the way their hips were slotted together and their bodies almost perfectly synced together like puzzle pieces.

If only he could stay like this forever with her.

If only there wasn't a war raging above their heads and threatening all balance across the globe.

"Zuko?"

"Hmm?"

"Will... will you come with us?" She straightened up and looked into his eyes. "Will you come with us when we leave Ba Sing Se?"

"I-"

The sound of earthbending shook the entire cavern, breaking the moment and causing both Katara and Zuko to shoot to their feet and prepare to fight. What they didn't expect was the far wall to explode and for the Avatar and his Uncle to walk in, side by side.

---

Katara ran as fast as she could, following behind Aang as he led her towards the tunnel he had created to get down to the old city ruins with Iroh. Zuko had stayed behind with Iroh, much to her reluctance, but Iroh had insisted they needed to speak alone before they caught up with her and Aang above ground.

Apparently Iroh had already agreed with Aang that he and Zuko would leave Ba Sing Se with them.

She wasn't sure how Zuko would react to this. After all, he had avoided making a decision ever since she first brought it up.

Now he has no choice and may be forced into doing something he didn't want to.

Katara looked back towards the cavern in which they had escaped and was surprised to see Princess Azula emerging from the hole in the wall. As soon as she spotted Katara, blue lightning erupted from her hands and shot across the grand cave. Aang must have seen her too because he quickly spun her around and bent up a large wall of earth to protect them from the electricity.

Though the rocks disintegrated on impact, it gave Katara enough time to bend the water from the pool and block the second bolt from hitting them. Mist exploded and filled the entire cavern, and Katara could literally only hear her own breathing. She couldn't even see Aang through the thick fog, let along Azula.

A flash of blue caught Katara's eyes and she pulled another stream of water up to block it from hitting her. Aang must have had the same idea because she could feel him bending the water, as well. As the mist started to fade, Katara saw Azula standing up on a pillar of earth near the water. Aang bent the earth, breaking the pillar beneath her feet, and the princess quickly leapt into the air and landed between Katara and Aang, hands pointing at them both and readying for an attack.

Time stood still, all three teens waiting on baited breath for one of the others to attack.

A fire blast - bright and hot - exploded in the center of their standoff, and Katara whirled around to see Zuko approaching them, palm open and eyes narrow and calm. His gaze flickered to Azula, then to Aang, and lastly to her. He lingered on her for a long moment, then looked back to Azula and Aang.

Katara's heart threatened to burst in her chest at the cool, disconnected look in his eyes. He did not hesitate, but his actions would determine the result of this coup. Everything they had discussed, everything she offered, the whole world, relied on this moment.

And as her breath left her body, Zuko punched out a blast of fire.

---

tbc.

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A/N I have a survey open to help me decide which path I want to take with this story. Go visit my profile to get the link!