A/N: Alright now that I have four hours of sleep and I am waiting for my uncle to arrive I am going to poop out a chapter for you all! I hope you guys like it. I know I am moving fast with things in Ba Sing Se, but I guess I am excited to get to the palace! Lolz Well enjoy!

Battles Within

Chapter Four: Leaving Ba Sing Se

I had done it. I had helped kill the Avatar and I was going home! I had, had to stop Uncle, but the Avatar was dead! That water tribe girl did say that, that water had special properties though. I hope that she couldn't heal the Avatar. Azula wanted to go right back to the Fire Nation, but I had a pit stop. I was going to take Kaida with me. She could be the royal glass maker!

"Kaida!" I called once I got into the shop. She was sitting in the corner looking at me.

"Zuko, you are in a Fire Nation uniform." I looked down at the clothing that my sister had given me. "I thought you said you weren't here on a mission." I winced. I had said that. I wasn't I was pulled into one.

"I wasn't on a mission. My sister showed up and took over Ba Sing Se. I've been put back in favor with my father and I'm going back to the palace." She looked at me and searched my eyes for a lie.

"You have told me a lot about your sister and if it only has to do with her than I don't trust it." She had been so blunt about it. Sometimes I think that she could make a great Earth bender with her blunt way of putting things. "But, have fun back at the palace."

"Well, that is something I wanted to talk to you about. I don't really know if you consider us dating, but I do. I just wanted to know if you wanted to come back to the Fire Nation with me." I rubbed the back of my neck. I was worried that she wouldn't come with me. I just hoped that she would say yes. I didn't know what I would do if she wasn't coming.

"I don't know Zuko. I have made a life for myself here. I have a home, I have animals. I don't know if Palace life is for me." She looked around her shop. I guess that made sense, but didn't she love me? She said so herself just yesterday. Yesterday! We were supposed to go for a walk. Shit.

"I'm sorry about yesterday Kaida. I was invited to the palace to serve the king tea. I went to help Uncle." She looked back to me and sighed.

"I don't know Zuko. I understand why you didn't come last night, but I just don't know about leaving here. It has taken me years to gain these people's trust. I guess they are going to feel as though I am a traitor now. Perhaps a diabolical plot to over throw them years in the making." Tears began to fall from her eyes. I moved to wipe them away and but she turned her head. "Never mind that I struggled just as they have. Years it took me to master how to mold glass like this, years of being watched, years of being a suspect for potential threats. Now when you come around even though you said you weren't on a mission, the city falls to the Fire Nation within weeks." I looked to her and saw that she genuinely cared about these people. Now with the thought that they didn't trust her anymore it was like a big weight had been put onto her shoulders. "I'll go." I blinked and looked at her again.

"What?" I asked, had she made this decision already? Now I was really confused.

"I'll go with you to the Fire Nation." I watched her get up and begin packing some things in the shop. I nodded not wanting to say anything for fear that she would change her mind. I helped her pack her things though. "They will probably come and tear down my shop, so I might as well take everything." Her outlook on life was bleak when it came to things like this. Well, most would say bleak. She says these things with a matter of fact tone, not one of sorrow or grief, but one of acceptance and knowing.

"You will love it at the palace." I said showing her boxes to some of the guards I had, had wait outside of the shop. She looked to me and then to the guards. "Don't worry, my sister and her two friends will be on the ship as well. You might not want to talk to Azula, but you might find someone to talk to through her friends." She seemed to become less guarded when I said that so I guess I had gotten through.

We packed up her house talking about the Fire Nation. I just wondered how much it had changed. She didn't know anything about the Fire Nation. The few memories of it were small and fading. I wanted to show her everything for myself. I wanted her to see the islands, the mountains, the fields, all the beauty of the Fire Nation. I couldn't wait to show her.

As we finished packing hours later my sister came in with some of the returning guards. She looked royally pissed off and I wasn't about to fight with her. She took one look around the building and I frowned at her sneer. She didn't have to put salt on the wounds. Kaida didn't have much, but for someone who started out as she had, she had a lot.

"Zu Zu what is taking so long? You better not be bringing home this girl for a pet. You know father wouldn't like an Earth Kingdom pet in his house, no matter how much you need a whore for your room." Kaida turned around and glared at Azula. The glass in her hand began to warp.

"I am no whore, and don't talk about Zuko that way." Glass was dripping onto the floor from the heat she was causing to course through her veins. Azula smiled and turned around to walk out of the shop.

"Have fun with your new girlfriend Zu Zu." Kaida blushed and returned to what she was doing. I could feel a blush rise to my own cheeks. Azula was never one to be nice about anything. She might appear to be nice about something, but it was always for her own gain. Kaida and I continued packing and sending things away in the cart that had been brought to carry her things to the train.

We finally got out of her house. I had one of her cats in my arms and she had another. A new litter of kittens were in a box ready to be transported with us. I still couldn't believe that I was going home. I helped Kaida into the train and stepped into the machine myself. Sitting down we were transported to the docks where we would take a ship to the Fire Nation. Azula was back at the ship making sure that Uncle Iroh didn't escape. I was glad that she wasn't there. I had minimal alone time with Kaida now that we were going back to the main land.

I put my arm around her shoulders and she leaned into me. I could feel her breathing and the soft warmth she was producing. She looked out the back window at the city of Ba Sing Se disappearing in the distance. I closed my eyes and listened to her breathing. I hoped that everything was going to be alright between us. I didn't know if she thought that I caused all of this or not, but I did know that she was coming with me. I could figure it out of the ship. We would have separate rooms of course, or so I thought.

Alas nothing happens how I think it is going to happen. Azula graciously gave us a room together. Kaida and I not only had to share a room, but also a bed. I offered to sleep on the floor, but Kaida wouldn't hear anything of it. We were both going to sleep on the bed and it would be fine. Silently I cursed in every language I knew, I was a wild sleeper and it would take conscious effort to not flail around and hurt her.

Dinner on the ship was a good one. A victory feast was held and everyone cheered. Well everyone that was except for Kaida, myself, and Azula. We all ate with happy talk around the table. My own conversation was directed toward Kaida who was talking about her plans with the new shop she was going to have near the palace. I smiled happily at her and couldn't wait to see her dream come true.

"I'm going to have orange walls, perhaps a couple windows to bring in the light during the day. Oh Zuko, I can't wait. I'll have everything I ever wanted with the money I'll get from serious buyers in the main land!" She fiddled with her food too excited to eat. I continued to eat what I had been served and went back into my own thoughts as she talked about where she thought she might have it. Her imagination was running wild and I just let her.

Tonight would be the first night we slept in the same bed together. I hoped that after this trip it wouldn't be the last. I waited outside while Kaida changed into her night clothing and all I had to do was strip down to my under garment. I listened to the noises coming from inside the door. I heard her walking around the room, drop something and curse quietly, step into her clothing and the rustling of clothing when she threw her dirty cloths into the dirty clothing bins that had been put there for us. Finally I was allowed in.

Walking inside I was greeted by her naked ass peaking out from underneath her night gown. I could feel myself get excited thinking about what she looked like underneath those clothes. I stripped down to almost nothing and climbed into bed next to her. She had the wall, which was fine, I wasn't too fond of being boxed in. I felt the jerk of the ship as we set off for the main land and Kaida turned over to look out the port hole window.

"Goodnight Kaidakoto." I said running a hand through her hair. She leaned into my touch and smiled at the warmth of my touch.

"Goodnight my prince." I felt myself shiver at the name. It was erotic when it came from her mouth. I didn't know if she knew how it affected me, but if she did she loved what it did. If she were willing to be taken by me, I'm sure I wouldn't mind what it did either, but until then, it was a bitter sweet feeling.

A/N: Alright that was the next chapter. I AM GOING TO SLEEP! I have been working for nearly 12 hours and running on 4 hours of sleep isn't great! I'm going to sleep and dream of Zukoness, maybe I can dream up something good to put in the story. Even though I have the whole thing already planned out I know it's not bad to have something a little extra to put in there. Maybe I can even do a spin off! Well have a great night everyone! REVIEW PLEASUMS!

~*Morna*~