A/N: Ok so I know this chapter is not very long and Sokka maybe a little OOC, but I really like how this one turned out. I'm sorry it took me a while to post this, but I wasn't quite sure where to go after chapter 2, but hopefully how I ended this one will lead into chapter 4 quite nicely.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Avatar related.


The southern tribe warriors gathered in the chief's tent. Among them, Sokka was speaking about the eclipse and how they needed to strike then.

"The invasion plan won't work! They will be expecting it!" Zuko shouted entering the war tent.

"Get lost kid this is a warriors only meeting."

"Please you have to listen to me! All of your lives are at stake!" Zuko begged.

"As if we'd listen to the Fire Lord's son!" The same tribesman snapped.

"You're lucky were even letting you stay here to heal! You're a threat to us everyday! Just because my sister's compassion blinds her does not mean we will ever trust you!" Sokka barked.

Zuko looked menacingly at the boy, his eyes filled with hate. I switched sides you imbecile. At least your sister is smart enough to realize I am not a threat to all of you.

"Everyone, please calm down. Let's hear what he has to say." Hakoda spoke. "Prince Zuko, please, continue."

"Dad!"

"Sokka we should hear what he has to say. He said our lives could be in danger and as chief it is my duty to keep these men and you safe. And if your sister trusts him, as will I. Zuko?"

Zuko bowed to the chief. "Thank you sir. As I was saying, the invasion won't work. My sister and her friends were in Ba Sing Se when Katara got the Earth King to agree to aid in our fight. If I know anything about Azula it's that she has a way of getting information. The Fire Nation probably is already making preparations and you all will be charging into a trap."

Hakoda stared long at the teenager taking in what he said.

"Thank you Zuko for your input you may go now." Hakoda dismissed the Prince.

With another bow to Hakoda, Zuko turned and left the tent.

"I do not think we should stop our invasion plans, however, I do believe there needs to be a change. Sokka since this was your idea do you have any suggestions?" The chief asked his son.

"I still think we can't trust him. He's Fire Nation! He's hunted us all over the world! This could all be a trick to finally capture Aang." Sokka stated.

"Sokka I know your hatred toward the boy is well deserved, but don't let it cloud your judgement. Katara trusts him. And therefore I think we should too." Bato piped in.

"I agree with Bato son. And I think it high time we all start trusting the Fire Prince." Hakoda addressed to the warriors.

"Fine." Sokka said defeated.

"Now does anybody have a suggestion about a new invasion plan?"

Katara sat on the grass waiting outside the tent for Zuko. How could have I not thought about Azula hearing about the plans from the King? She was posing as a Kyoshi Warrior after all she was bound to find out about the invasion.

"I'm such an idiot!" She cursed herself under her breath.

"I'm such an idiot!" She heard a voice say from behind.

Katara turned to see Zuko coming out of the tent frustrated. She got up from the ground and walked over to the firebender.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I was a fool to think they could ever trust me! I don't think anyone except your father believes I've changed." Zuko said.

He walked to the cliffside and sat, dangling his legs over the ledge. Katara stood back aways watching him. She knew the tribesmen wouldn't accept him, but her optimistic attitude thought someone other than her father would give him a chance. She took a deep breath and took a spot next to the prince.

"It's because we've been fighting in this war for too long. The men in our village won't get used to the fact that someone from the Fire Nation wants to help us overnight." Katara said reassuringly.

"How did you? How did you find a way to trust me?" Zuko asked.

"When you talked about your mother being taken from you I thought it was a trick to make me feel sorry for you, but then I saw your eyes. In that moment I couldn't imagine why you would lie about your own nation taking someone so dear from you. So I took a chance on trusting you. Then you started talking about your destiny and I knew that you had changed."

Zuko looked Katara in the eyes. He saw how caring this waterbender truly was. How easily she was swayed into believing there was good in someone. Her idiot of a brother is right. She can easily be blinded by her compassion. That's her weakness. As what used to be mine.

"I don't blame them for not trusting me. After everything my nation did I wouldn't trust me either." Zuko said looking back into the distance.

"They will. Just give them time." Katara placed her hand on the firebender's shoulder.

"How can you be so sure? How can you just believe that these people will ever accept me?"

"Before I became a master, I was never really accepted by the rest of the tribe. I was just the girl who played with magic water. I was a reminder of what the Fire Nation did to my village. But now, I am respected by the men who once thought of me as weak. I am finally not just the little girl whose mother sacrificed herself for." She said touching her necklace.

Zuko's brow furrowed. He didn't want to hear how Katara's mother was taken away from her again. Why am I still sitting here? I can't allow myself to get close. But she's the only one that really trusts me here. No if I start to care for her, for any of these people, my father or Azula will just take them from me.

"I need to be alone." Zuko finally said. "I don't want to talk about how awful my nation is or how they ruined your life. I already know the kind of monsters they are. They took my mother too remember?"

"Zuko, I'm sorry I didn't-"

"Just go, please." He saw the hurt in her eyes

"Alright, but if you do want to talk I'm here." Katara said standing up and walking off.

Why won't he just open up? He hasn't said anything more about his mother since Ba Sing Se. Why does he keep avoiding the subject? Yes it's a hard thing to think about, but talking about my mom is the one thing that makes me feel close to her. Maybe everyone would trust him if he wasn't so closed off? Katara thought as she searched to talk to Aang.

Meanwhile, Toph was throwing boulder after boulder at the young monk. He evaded the attacks with his airbending.

"C'mon Twinkle Toes! You won't master earthbending if you keep avoiding my attacks! Punch them back at me!" Toph said kick a large sized rock at Aang.

"Toph, I need a break. We've been at this all morning." He said.

"You mean I've been doing this all morning, all you've done is prance around dodging everything I've thrown at you! Maybe if you get a hit in you can take a break."

Toph fired another boulder at Aang, but this time he stopped it and threw it back at her. The earthbender easily smashed the boulder before it could reach her.

"You call that an attack! C'mon hit me!" Toph shouted.

"Hey Aang. Hey Toph how's the training going?" Katara asked walking up to the two youngest members of Team Avatar.

"Hey Katara! I'm glad you're here. You can watch me earthbend."

"Earthbend? You mean avoiding my attacks with airbending. He's hopeless. He learned how to earthbend, but he's too much of a wimp to use it in an actual fight."

"I'm sure Aang will get the hang of it eventually." Katara smiled reassuringly at Aang.

"Whatever. He's all yours sweetness." Toph said heading back to camp.

"Hey Aang? Can I ask you something?" Katara asked.

"Sure, I guess. What's up?"

"It's my tribe. They still think Zuko is someone who can't be trusted. I know he's changed, but no one else seems to believe it. What can I do to show everyone that he's different?"

"Katara, I don't think you can do anything. Your people's hatred for the Fire Nation blinds them from seeing Zuko as an ally. It'll just take time."

"But you trust Zuko's changed. Why can't the warriors put the past battles aside and believe he's not like the rest of the Fire Nation? They should trust your judgement about him, you're the Avatar!"

"I trust him because you do." Aang said, his cheeks flushing slightly. "You can't ignore the fact that your tribe has lost a great deal because of his people. Katara, like I said before just give them time." Aang grabbed the waterbender's hand. He looked encouragingly into her eyes, giving her hand a small squeeze. Katara smiled at her friend and brought him into a hug.

"Thanks Aang."

Later that evening, after everyone was asleep, Zuko lay beneath the stars thinking. /span/p

"Maybe you could be free of it."

"What?"

"I have healing abilities."

"It's a scar, it can't be healed." Zuko said.

Katara held up a blue vial. "This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work, but …" She put her hand on his damaged face.

Zuko had never let anyone, aside from Uncle Iroh, touch his scar before. Yet, somehow he allowed the waterbender to back in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se. She had gotten him to open up to someone other than his uncle. Despite their history, Katara was willing to help him, to still help him.

"You and I need to talk."

Zuko got up looking at the one who interrupted his thoughts. He walked up to the intruder.

"Fine. Then let's talk."

"You may have my sister and everyone else's trust, but I'm not as easily persuade. Let me make something clear, Katara trusted someone before. Someone who wound up using her for his own benefit. If I find out you're just using my sister's caring nature to capture Aang, I will not hesitate to-"

"To what? Kill me? Despite what you think, I have changed. I'm here to help the Avatar not use anyone for my own sake." Zuko started to storm off, but his arm was caught. His face being brought close to the watertribe boy.

"Just stay away from my sister." Sokka threatened.


A/N: Once again sorry this chapter isn't that long, but I really liked where it ended. Also I apologize for not having it out sooner, but I just started college so it's going to be hard to post every two weeks. Also I would like to thank thedoctor11th for being the first person to review my story. Until next time...