Okay, here are the details: at the end of this chapter, the time difference between the two groups will be the same. This chapter will end the day after the fight between Mai and Zuko. It takes a day to get from the fire nation to Kyoshi Island (yea, not realistic but this is the avatar world. A boy stayed in ice for 100 years with no defects!) Remember this is four years after the war. Here are the ages: Zuko=20, Suki, Sokka, Mai=19 Katara and Ty Lee are 18, Toph and Aang=16. Giving the benefit of the doubt, Hakota=45, Iroh=62, Gran Gran=63, Pakku=67, fire sages=old. Now to my characters. Miki=13, Jadate=21, Ashu=28, Anki=43 (go back in history and you will find out that this is accurate for arranged marriages). Okay, I think I covered everything that is needed to be known. Lets get this party started!!!

**

"Your betroth" was the only thing that was running through Katara's head. She stared at Pakku in disbelief. She couldn't believe this. This was not how she thought the meeting was going to turn out. She looked at her father and grandmother, hoping they would say that they were joking. Katara sucked in a deep breath and then felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Zuko. He looked surprised and angry at the same time. She then turn and looked at the man who her step-grandfather called Anki. He was a tall man, around 6'4", and he had dark hair that was completely down. He had dark blue eyes that seemed to blend in with his pupils. Then she noticed that he was standing in front of her.

"It's good to finally meet you Katara." Anki said as he took her hand and placed a light kiss on it.

Katara quickly withdrew her hand disgusted by having it kissed. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded and then looked at her father.

"Katara, don't be mad… " Hakota started.

"Excuse me?" Katara started but was stopped by her father raising his hand.

"Let me finish." Hakota started using the fatherly stern voice that every child hates. "Don't be mad at me. Be mad that them." Hakota finished and pointed to Pakku and Gran Gran. "If it was up to me, I wouldn't allow this."

Katara looked at her grandmother and Pakku. She couldn't believe this was happening. She kept her gaze at Pakku, then she figured it out. "This is an arrange marriage." Katara stated instead of questioned.

"Yes it is." Katara heard Anki said. "I mean, you must have known about this or else you would still be in your relationship with the avatar." Anki finish darkly as he gave a half smile.

Katara took a step toward Anki, leaving behind Zuko's supporting hand. "Don't you dare bring in my past relationships into this mess. You have no idea what is going on with me." Katara stated angrily. She then remembered her place as a lady and took a half step back. "How was I brought into this engagement?" Katara asked pulling her angered gaze from Anki to Pakku.

"As you know, arrange marriages are common in the North Pole. I had made an agreement with another master waterbender that my oldest daughter or son or grand child would marry his first born. The first and only child of that master was Anki, and with you being my only granddaughter, you are placed in this category." Pakku summarized.

"But…" Katara started, the politics starts to come out of her. "I am from the South Pole and you are my step-grandfather, Pakku. I have no blood ties to you, so I do not have to be apart of this arrangement." Katara finished with a smile, but saw the frown on her father's face, and the smile on Anki's face.

"No my dear child." Gran Gran stated. Katara gave her grandmother a worried look. "Pakku is your true blood grandfather. I entered the South Pole six weeks pregnant. This is how you are able to waterbend."

"But I thought I got my waterbending from my mother's family." Katara said, in shock of the information that her grandmother just gave her.

"We thought so too." Hakota said as he walked up to Katara. "But, we went back through the records and found that no one in your mother's family was a waterbender. I'm sorry." Katara looked up at her father in disbelief. Then she heard someone clear their throat.

"Excuse me, but I would like to spend some time with my betroth and learn more about her." Anki said simply. Hakota shot him a dirty look that Anki sent back to him. Katara felt defeated. Everyone in the room fell silent. Until…

"No." Came a voice from behind Katara. It was Zuko. She was shocked with the boldness that he inserted.

"Excuse me Firelord but I…"Anki started

"Will not have anything else to do with Katara." Zuko finished Iroh quickly looked at his nephew, wondering what he was doing. Zuko then walked up to Katara and put his arm around Katara's waist.

"No offence Firelord, but if you don't take your hand off my betroth, I will do it for you." Anki said as he patted the sword at his side. Katara just looked at Zuko, trying to figure out what he was doing.

The fire sages took a step toward Zuko until he stopped them with his hand. "Fire Sages, I ask you to remember your place." Zuko simply said and the sages understood him. "Now Annie…"

"Anki." Anki corrected Zuko.

"Whoever, first of all, you do not have the right to talk or threaten me while you are a guest in my palace and second…" Zuko started but stopped and looked at Katara. He hated that she was in this type of situation. 'What can I do to help her?' Zuko kept asking himself. Katara gave him a 'what are you thinking' look. Zuko then looked at everyone else and then to just Anki, who was wearing a smug smile. Zuko was really beginning to hate this guy. 'I got it, and Angi help me.' "And secondly neither you nor the rest of this group have the right to talk to Katara in such an insulting manner." Pakku and Hakota gave Zuko a questioning look

"Why do you find this conversation insulting? I would find it to be a joyous time." Anki said.

"Yea for you." Katara quickly added. "I for one…"

"Now Katara dear, no need to drop to his level." Zuko said sweetly. He noticed that Katara raised her left eyebrow at the "dear" part. "If you will excuse us, Katara and I need to be going. You are all welcome to stay and eat lunch. Good day." Zuko said and he started to lead Katara out of the Dinning hall.

"Wait! Where do you think you are going with my betrothed?" Anki asked

"Well Annie." Zuko started as he saw the anger in Anki's face. "She is not your betrothed." This statement caught everyone's attention. 'Angi help me, I hope this work.' "Katara is this nation's," Zuko then took a dramatic pause, "she is this nation's Fire Lady." Zuko finished as he looked at Katara. She gave Zuko a surprising, shocked look. Zuko gave her a reassuring smile. "So excuse us, we need to be going."

"Wait. I demand and explanation." Anki said in a harsh tone.

Zuko was now the one wearing the smug smile. "It is really simple, Annie, The Avatar and I decided on a way to show those who do not trust me, to trust me. That way is through inter culture marriage and sibling adoption. My marriage to Katara will unite the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation. I plan on adoption Toph as my sister for the uniting of the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. Then Toph and the Avatar will marry to unite the Air Nomads and the Earth Kingdom. With the two marriages and the sibling adoption, all four nations will be connected." Zuko finished. He looked around and saw everyone speechless. Anki did not know what to say, so in turn, he left the dinning hall.

Chief Arnook gave Zuko a strange look and then a smile. "Maybe this will work. Uniting the four nations, good job young Fire Lord. I hope the wedding will be big and I will look forward to the invitation. Now I better be going. I wouldn't want Anki to destroy your items." And with that, Arnook turn to leave.

Zuko dismissed the fire sages and then realized what happened. "Oh man" he mutter to himself.

"Son, you do know that your hand is still on my daughter." Hakota said and Zuko quickly removed his hand. Then he was face to face with an old, very angry waterbender.

"Boy you better be going threw with this. Last I knew you were planning on marrying that other girl and not Katara." Pakku said.

"Yes Zuko, what were you thinking?" Katara asked.

"I wasn't, that's the problem." Zuko said as he covered his face with his hands.

"Well I think it is a good idea. This will keep her away from that creepy, old guy." Garn Gran said Zuko just looked at the older woman and gave her a smile.

"If we are going to continue this conversation, might I suggest we go to a more private room." Iroh said. The group agreed and left the dinning room and into Zuko's office. Zuko sat in his chair and Katara stayed next to the door. Pakku and Hakota stood in between the two, and Iroh and Gran Gran sat in chairs in front of Zuko's desk.

"So when did you plan on telling me about the marriage between you two?" Hakota asked with a smile as he watched Zuko slammed his head on his desk.

Gran Gran started to laugh. "I love that he just pulled the idea out of is butt." She said.

"Gran Gran!" Katara gasped. Zuko then raised his head and slammed it down again.

Iroh got up and walked over to his nephew and tapped on his shoulder. "Nephew, it is okay. Once Chief Arnook and Anki leave, everything will be back to normal." Zuko lifted his head up and there was a big red square on his head. Iroh let out a small laugh. "I will order some tea…"

"Uncle."

"No Zuko, you will need something for that headache that will come in a few minutes." And with that, Iroh left the room.

Pakku was glaring at Zuko angrily and Zuko couldn't take it anymore. "Why are you staring at me?" Zuko asked annoyed.

"I don't think I want you to be my grandson-in-law." Pakku simply stated.

"What are you talking about? I just said that to help Katara out. I'm not really marrying her, no offence Katara." Zuko said

"None taken." Katara said.

"I don't think you understand boy. If you don't marry Katara, she will go to Anki." Pakku said, with annoyance and anger.

This angered Zuko. "Katara is not a possession! You can't just give her away!" Zuko said shouting at Pakku.

"If you don't go through with this marriage…"Pakku stated, in an angry tone while staring at Zuko. Then he dropped his gaze to the floor and softens his voice. "If you don't go through with this, then I will have no choice." Zuko scanned the room and say all the Water Tribe natives had their heads down. Zuko was completely confused.

Hakota was the first to speak. "If this doesn't happen, then Pakku will lose his position and reputation. If that happens, then our whole family will lose respect. With Katara being promised to Anki, she will be removed from our family and placed into his family. Katara will enter that family with no title and no authority. She will not be able to do practically anything except for producing children." Hakota boldly stated.

"That's crazy! How can…. Ugh!" Zuko stated and slammed his head down again. "So I basically I screwed up royally." Zuko muttered into his desk loud enough for everyone to hear. He then lifted his head to look at Katara. She wore a sad face and was looking down.

"No, just marry my daughter." Hakota said. Zuko just looked at this man. He was having a hard time figuring out if Hakota was being serious or sarcastic like Sokka. "I am being serious. I would rather have her here in the Fire Nation then with that man."

"Agreed." Gran Gran and Pakku said at the same time.

Zuko, not knowing what to do, placed his head back down on his desk. He didn't know what to do. Yes, Katara was a good, close friend, but he loved Mai. 'Oh man, if she knew what was going on…' he didn't even want to think about it.

"No." Zuko heard Katara say. He looked up and saw her standing straight up and her arms crossed. "I will not put Zuko through this." She said as she gave Zuko a sad smile. "He loves Mai." She pauses to take a deep breath. "I will go with Anki."

"No you will not." Zuko said instantly and boldly. He got up from his desk and walked over to Katara. Gran Gran stood up and walked over to her son and husband, to get a better view. Zuko put his hands on Katara's shoulders. "We will figure this out, but you will not go to that creeper."

"But Zuko, I …"Katara started

"No buts. I just got to figure a way were Mai doesn't find out until I tell her what is going on." Zuko said. He didn't noticed when his office door open but he did hear it when it was shut.

"We have a small problem about that Zuko." Everyone turned around and saw Iroh holding a tray of tea. Iroh obviously heard the last part that Zuko said.

"What? What do you mean?" Zuko asked

"Well, you see, everyone that is apart of the staff knows of, um, your, um…" Iroh stuttered, worried about his nephew's reactions.

"Well, spit it out buster." Gran Gran said.

"Uncle?" Zuko said

Iroh took in a breath "Everyone in the staff knows about your and Katara's engagement." Iroh finally said.

Zuko then slapped his forehead. "This is going to be a long day." He muttered. For the rest of the day the group tried to work on a plan to figure things out. The night came and everyone went their separate ways.

**

It was almost dark when Sokka, Suki, Ty Lee, Toph, Aang, Miki, and Jadate were waiting at the docks. Toph, Miki, Jadate and Aang were sitting on the ground catching up on lost time, and informing Miki and Jadate on what was going on. Sokka was leaning on a pillar watching Suki trying to calm Ty Lee down. Ty Lee has been pacing quickly and talking to herself about Mai. Sokka let out a sigh, he was tired of hearing Ty Lee complain about it. He started to go into his own little world when he heard Ty Lee scream at Suki.

"Hey, hey, hey. This has gone on for far to long. Ty Lee, I'm going to tell you something and I need you to listen, so stop walking and be quiet for a little bit." Sokka said as he watched the eighteen year old slow down and stopped in front of him.

"Um..Ok." Ty Lee said

"Come here. There are some little ears can't hear what I have to say to you." Sokka said and watched Ty Lee inch closer to him. Sokka then Lean down to her and he put his hands in his pockets. He noticed a warning look that Suki gave him. "Okay, here it is. Unless you are the one marring Zuko." He whispered to he then paused for a moment. "then SHUT UP!" he finished with a yell.

Ty Lee let out a yelp and Toph burst out laughing. "Why did you do that? I thought little ears couldn't hear what you had to say." Ty Lee asked as she rubbed her ear.

"To get you to shut up. When Mai gets here, then you can start to complain." Sokka said simply. He then looked out into the sea and saw a fire nation ship enter the port. "and here she is."

Everyone in the group got up and stood promptly, well except for Toph. The ship got to the dock and the Fire Nation Navy were preparing the ship. The group waited to see Mai. The steam releaced and then the walking panel was dropped. At the very end of the panel was Mai.

Mai walked down and saw her friend along with Zuko's friends. A feeling of dread filled her body. She remembered the afternoon earlier, she had told Ashu all about her and Zuko. Ashu told her that she did over react and if she truly loved him then she should go back. So she decieded once she saw Ty Lee and when the ship had resupplied then she was going to go back and see Zuko. Mai was then ambushed by Ty Lee with a death hug and questions.

"What are you doing here!? Why did you leave? What were you thinking!?!" Ty Lee practicly screamed.

"What are you talking about Ty Lee?" Mai asked unaware that her friend knew everything.

"Why did you leave Zuko? You shouldn't have left! It was all my fault. Zuko didn't want to go with my plan but he did anyways. I'm sorry! It's all my fault! Please don't be mad!" Ty Lee finished

"Again Ty Lee, I'm going to ask you, what are you talking about and please try to make some sense." Mai calmly stated.

Ty Lee took a deep breath, "Zuko was trying to find a good way to show you how much he loves you and a perfect way to propose to you. I suggested that he would ignore you until supper. At supper he would again ignore you until dessert, when he was suppost to propose and then all of them," she point to everyone except Miki and Jadate, " plus Katara were going to celebreate your engagement. It was my idea and I'm sorry. I didn't think that you would react that way." Ty Lee finished.

Mai was in shocked of what she just heard. She then heard footsteps behind her and the clearing of a throat. Mai noticed that it was Ashu.

"My lady. The ship will be ready for depature in the morning by sun rise." Said Ashu. He noticed the shocked face that Mai had. " Are you okay, Miss Mai?"

"Yes, Ashu. I'm fine." Mai said unsure of herself.

"Okay, I will go and ready the crew. Do you wish for us to prepare rooms for your friends?" Ashu asked

"Yes please." Mai said. Ashu, taking a last look at Mai, turned and left.

"Well, Mai, um… Would you like to go and rest?" Suki asked and Mai nodded.

"If you are so deeply in love with the Fire Lord, then why do you have feelings for the captain?" came a male voice behind Mai. She turn and saw an Earth Kingdom male not much older then herself.

"Jadate! Why did you say that?" Ty Lee asked

"I didn't!" Jadate said raising his hands up in surrender. "She did." And he pointed to Miki.

"She does have a point though. Mai's heart was beating pretty fast. Like Jadate's when he sees Ty Lee." Toph said.

"Toph!!!" Jadate hissed.

"What? You do." Toph said, well kind of whispering the last part.

"Well, why doesn't the girl speak for herself?" Mai asked not caring about what Toph just said.

"She can't. She is a mute and deaf." Jadate said matter of factly.

"Well then, how does she understand what is being said and how does she talk back?" Mai said taking a step toward Miki.

"The same way I am able to see. By earthbending. She listens to the vibrations. She can understand and she can hear better than I can. But I can see better." Toph explain.

"Well tell her that my relationships are none of her business." Mai said as she looked at the girl questioningly. "Where does she come from?" She asked

"Ask her." Toph dryly told Mai

"How am I suppost to do that if she is deaf?" Mai asked annoyingly

"I already explain…." Toph started, a little annoyed.

"The same way you ask everyone else." Jadate finished. "She is not stupid. You will be surprised what she could do."

"Well who are you, her father?" Mai stated.

"Her family was killed by your people. I found her while I was seeking refuge from the war." Jadate stated, hitting a nerve on Mai.

"Excuse me but I did help to end this war." Mai said getting angry.

"Yes by helping in the last two weeks." Jadate said.

"Look here you filthy peasant…" Mai started

"And with that additude, I wonder why anyone would want to be with you." Jadate cut sharply in. He was talking in a quick tone that was small but strong. Mai and Ty Lee were in complete shock. Toph started to laugh.

"And what is so funny?" Mai asked darkly to Toph.

"Do you know who was talking to you?" Toph simply asked after she finished laughing.

"The Earth Nation boy, who else?" Mai said

"Wrong. It was Miki, ya know, the deaf girl." Toph said. "She is unable to talk so Jadate talks for her. It was her talking when the whole attitude thing came in. Did you not notice the difference in his tone of voice?" Toph asked.

Mai just looked at Toph, not knowing what to say. "Well next time tell me when she is talking." Mai said to Jadate. And he nodded. "Now excuse me, I am going to rest up. I am leaving for the Fire Nation in the morning. You are all welcome to join me if you wish. Come on, lets go Ty Lee." Mai said and turn to leave.

"Ah, come on! More traveling. Really? Why the rush? You already know that Zuko is going to propose to you when you get back. What do you think he is going to do? Run off and get married to some one else while you are here?" Sokka complained. Mai shot him a death glare while Toph and Jadate laughed. The group departed for rest and the day long travel to the Fire Nation.

***

AH….. I finally found the end!!! Okay so this is very, very long and I do apologize. But I felt that I need to put these two together to continue my story and hopefully makes sense. Please comment and ask any questions that there are! Thanks!!