I 3 Luke Bryan. Whether you're a country fan or not, who could not appreciate that sexy man?

Thank you, all, for the support you've shown. It's disheartening when you don't get any recognition for something you've worked hard, so I really appreciate it.

The next one is already typed out, and I think you all are going to like it. Remember, reviews make me update faster!

Happy reading!

Katara was annoyed. She was honestly, honestly trying to stick to her promise about Zuko, but he was being so moody and mercurial she couldn't stand being on the expansive deck a number of feet between them, let alone in the same room as him. He had been moodier than she could be when that time came, randomly snapping at his crew and uncle.

Currently he was looking through a telescope. Not that she knew what he was trying to see, other than blue water. Iroh looked like he was sniffing at something.

"There is a storm coming. A big one." Zuko inhaled deeply as he lowered his telescope.

"You're out of your mind, Uncle. The weather's perfect. There is not a cloud in sight."

"The storm is approaching from the north. I suggest we alter our course and head southwest."

Of course, he had to be stubborn. "We know the Avatar is traveling northward, so we will do the same.

"Prince Zuko, consider the safety of the crew."

"The safety of the crew doesn't matter!" Katara could have done a Sokka- like face palm at Zuko's comment, as right when he said the words, Lieutenant Jee strolled by. He raised a gray, suspicious eyebrow at the young man but said nothing. But Prince Hot Head had to make a scene of it. "Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual's safety."

Zuko sauntered off, his mood showing in his gait. Iroh tried to smooth over the situation, but by the look on the commanding officer's face, there wasn't much he could say. "He doesn't mean that, he's just all worked up."

Katara continued to play with the water she had drawn up in her hand. Her solitary bubble was interrupted moments later, though, when a volatile prince walked through the metal door in perfect time to hear thunder clap in the near distance.

"Huh! Looks like your uncle was right about the storm after all." She winced, knowing Zuko would get agitated by the lieutenant's words.

"Lucky guess." The said general shrugged.

Sure enough, Zuko marched up to the CO. "Lieutenant, you'd better learn some respect," he began pointing in the older man's chest, "or I will teach it to you."

Zuko began to walk away. Talk about respect! Katara fumed. Before Lieutenant Jee could say the words burning on his tongue, Katara jumped up to confront the Prince.

"What do you know about respect? The way you talk to everyone around here, from your hard working crew to your esteemed uncle shows you know nothing about respect. You don't care about anyone but yourself! Then again, what should I expect from a spoiled prince?"

His shoulders stiffened at his words, and he dropped into a low stance after her tirade was finished. "It's not night time anymore, peasant."

Katara didn't give him the satisfaction that his words cut. Instead, she dropped into a stance of her own before replying, "It's not sunny out, either."

"Easy, now." Iroh tried to assuage. The teens approached each other, ending with their wrists crossing one another's. He approached the two, and knew it was time to diffuse the situation when Zuko's began to smoke against the waterbender's skin. He quickly but neatly separated their forearms, but they continued to glare at each other over him.

"Enough! We are all a bit tired from being at sea so long. I'm sure after a bowl of noodles everyone will feel much better."

Zuko and Katara glare at each other a moment after, but then each turn on their heels and continue on their way.

"I don't need your help keeping order on my ship." He told his uncle tersely. Iroh placed his hand on the young man's shoulder, only to have it thrown off and him walk away.

Katara knew it was the wrong thing to say to him. But her pact be damned, she was not about to just allow him to act like that and not speak up! She was aimlessly marching around the ship, fuming and mad at both Zuko and herself. That jerk!

"I'm sick of taking his orders and I'm tired of chasing his Avatar!"

The sound of Lieutenant Jee's voice rang through a slightly open door and cut through Katara's thoughts. She peeked through the illuminated doorway to see Jee and other members of the crew around a table, waiting for his next words. She clasped her hand to her mouth to contain a scream when a hand landed on her shoulder, and turned to see Iroh's saddened face behind her. He nodded at the door, clearly saying she should go in with him

"I mean, who does Zuko think he is?"

"Do you really want to know?"

The men were all surprised to hear the General's voice ring out from the shadows. Iroh and Katara both entered the room, the crewmen scrambling to stand at attention.

"General Iroh! We were just-" Iroh raised a hand with a nonjudgmental expression to silence him.

"It's okay. May we join you?"

"Of course, sir!" Around the table, the men shuffled around drew up two more chairs. As he sat, Iroh began stroking his beard, deep in thought over what he would say before he started.

"Try to understand, my nephew is a complicated young man. He has been through much..."

"I remember the day well. Prince Zuko was just thirteen, but his stubborn determination we all know was still alive and present. He was trying to sneak past the guards posted outside Fire Lord Ozai's throne room to attend a war meeting. When I was to enter, I saw him and how disappointed he was. I tried to persuade him out of it, but he was adamant. I just wish I was more adamant.

"I told him not to speak, and he promised he would not. He was so excited to attend the meeting, who was I to stop him? He had gone through much already, what with Princess Ursa. I did not want him to feel unhappy.

So she was gone before he was thirteen. Katara felt for him. Her mother was killed when she was very young, so she could understand Iroh's perspective. It was she knew people in her tribe had done when it came to Sokka and her many times before.

"They wanted to sacrifice new recruits, fresh out of their training, to take on the most highly skilled group of Earthbenders the region had. Zuko couldn't stand the thought. He shot up from his seat and faced the old general who had suggested the plan. 'You can't sacrifice an entire division like that! Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?'"

That sounds so like him. An unbidden rush of admiration over Zuko's loyalty passed through Katara as she heard Iroh's words.

He paused momentarily. It looked like he was gathering his thoughts again, and that this part of the story was where it turned badly. "Zuko was right, you see, but it was not his place to speak out, and there were... dire consequences."

"After Zuko's outburst in the meeting, the Fire Lord became very angry with him. He said that Prince Zuko's challenge of the general was an act of complete disrespect, and there was only one way to resolve this..."

"Agni Kai. A fire duel." Jee was obviously horrified, and while she didn't know the details, Katara knew it could not have a good outcome for Iroh to be reacting this way to his own story. He nodded once.

"That's right. Zuko looked upon the old general he had insulted and declared that he was not afraid. But Zuko misunderstood. When he turned to face his opponent, he was surprised to see it was not the General. Zuko had spoken out against a general's plan, but by doing so in the Fire Lord's war room, it was the Fire Lord whom he had disrespected. Zuko would have to duel his own father."

Katara's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in terror. She had a feeling of where this story was heading, connecting Zuko's scar, the history she knew up to then, and Iroh.

"When Prince Zuko saw that it was his father who had come to duel him, he fell into a bow and begged for mercy. Though Zuko has always been a powerful bender, he refused to fight. But Fire Lord Ozai is not a merciful man."

"He said Zuko would fight for his honor, but still Zuko would not rise from his bow. 'Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!' Then he said the words I could never imagine a father saying to his child." Iroh closed his eyes at the memory. No one pressed what the words were, though it was clear they wanted to.

"I looked away." He tilted his head in the way Katara was sure he would have that day. She gasped lightly and covered her mouth with both hands, unshed tears swimming in her eyes.

It took a moment for anyone to speak, but finally Lieutenant Jee spoke gently. "I always thought that Prince Zuko was in a training accident..."

Iroh was steely. "It was no accident. After the duel, the Fire Lord said that by refusing to fight, Zuko had shown shameful weakness. As punishment he was banished and sent to capture the Avatar. Only then could he return with his honor."

"So that's why he's so obsessed. Capturing the Avatar is the only chance he has of things returning to normal." Katara whispered.

"Things will never return to normal. But the important thing is, the Avatar gives Zuko hope."

Katara walked around in a daze, still trying to digest the information she had just received. When they fought the other day, Zuko was right; she really didn't know anything. But now she did. Her musings stopped when she ran into solid metal.

"Ow!" She looked up to see Zuko, who was frowning down at her. "Oh… Uh, Zuko-"

"Save it." Two cold words and he was breezing past her again. She sighed deeply and proceeded onto the deck where the other men were, who were trying to do their daily duties while being pelted in rain. She made a shield around the deck to stop the water from hitting them and was shot grateful looks.

It ended when a bolt of lightning hit the bridge and suddenly Zuko was barking in her ear.

"Where were we hit?"

"I don't know!"

"Look!"

Iroh pointed up at the smoking tower, where a silhouette of a man was hanging on to dear life to a slippery rail.

"The helmsman!" Zuko shouted before sprinting and climbing the ladder to get to the man, Jee following his footsteps. Katara was worried for them both; she knew that lightning did strike twice, It was high up, and slippery. Beside her, Iroh tensed before shooting out his arm to capture the bolt of lightning that threatened to hit Zuko and Jee and guiding it out the other.

"Ahh!" A shout was heard and the helmsman finally let go. But before he could fall, a pale hand reached out and grabbed his. Zuko and Jee together saved his life and worked to get him on the ladder to safety. For the second time, Katara felt her admiration for his good qualities grow. Maybe my promise to myself will work, after all.

As soon as the dazed man was walking on the deck, Iroh joined his nephew. "Uncle, I'm sorry."

Iroh placed his hand on Zuko's shoulder, and this time it wasn't shrugged off. "Your apology is accepted."

"We need to get this ship to safety."

"Then we must go to towards the eye of the storm."

Iroh left to go inside as they approached a sunny part of the storm. The rain hardly drizzled and the wind died down considerably. Then it was only Zuko and Katara left. He was by the rail again, but this time his armor was off. It made him seem more… vulnerable. She twitched her fingers to bend the rain from his soggy clothes, and he jumped up in surprise.

He eyed her warily. "Thanks," he muttered succinctly before turning around again.

"Zuko." He turned around, only to have Katara launch her body towards him and wrap her arms around his neck. "You could have died up there," she whispered. She almost felt like laughing at the way his body tensed and how he had his arms awkwardly in the air behind her.

"I did what I needed to do."

"You were very brave, Zuko. That was the bravest thing I've seen somebody do." His hands on her shoulders made her push away, but she still kept her hands around his neck.

His golden eyes regarded her, his brow slightly furrowed. To see if I'm being honest, she realized. She studied his face as he did hers- the straight nose, the high cheekbones, his angular chin… his scar. Even with that ponytail she resented, he was attractive. It wasn't the first time she had noticed it, being her age, but it was the first time it truly stuck out. Probably because they were so close. "I'm telling the truth."

His hands fell from her shoulders and she dragged her body against his warm one again. But instead of hanging them awkwardly, she felt his hands place themselves between her hips and lower back. It didn't last long, but it was a start. He walked away, leaving her feeling satisfied.

She didn't watch him leave. She leaned on the rail and nearly smiled at the calm, sunny area in the middle of the turbulent storm.

"Katara?" It was her turn to turn around and face the prince. The corners of his lips turned up slightly in an attempt to smile. "Thank you."

She smiled gently at him before looking once again at the blue sky. That was the first time he said my name.

And for the first time, she actually slightly liked him.