I sniffle. Someone is pulling me back up and plopping me back into a chair. And the Therapist is speaking again, this time in a calming manner:

"Enomys? Are you okay? Do you feel able to continue with the therapy?"

I look up and see the curious and somewhat amused faces of my peers in this therapeutic group, and the partially concerned face of the Therapist. After a moment, I nod and clear my throat.

"I…don't…own…"

The Therapist nods her head encouragingly as the group waits with bated breath.

"…Avatar…" I choke out.

The Therapist beams, but maybe she is celebrating too soon…

I faint dead away in my chair. I just can't deny owning Avatar.

A word for the people who are scratching their heads: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

Chapter 4

Tea and Sympathy

Sazume followed Toph out of the alley way. Why do they care so much? It's not like she was anyone important. She was just another refugee, another poor soul who had but a few coins to her name. So why had they singled her out? And now why were they being so hospitable? It just wasn't natural, her being from the slums and them being nobility, practically. What are they up to?

Aang looked at the back of the young girl's dirty head. He felt sorry for her. He couldn't imagine losing parents, since he had never known his, but he knew what it was like to lose someone very close to you. He hoped that they could find a way to help her, maybe find her a guardian, some shelter, some clean clothes, a stable supply of food. But with that attitude? They'd be lucky if she stayed to gulp some water.

Suki was thinking similar thoughts. She really wanted to help Sazume, but the girl was deliberately nasty. How were they going to get her to accept their hospitality? The warrior was stumped. This was a new kind of attitude that she had never encountered before, and it was frustrating, not being able to reach out to the girl. She was like a turtle duck when they ducked their heads into their shells: untouchable.

By this time the group had made it back to the Upper Ring. It was almost evening, but there was almost no activity. The residents of the Upper Ring liked to retire early, strained as they were from sitting and doing nothing all day long. And so the group walked, in utter silence, toward a certain tea shop.

Iroh looked out the window to see his nephew and company. He was surprised to see the teens back at the shop so late. Where had they been? He bustled about, setting another pot of water on to boil, and started laying out place settings. His nephew, now the Fire Lord, was the first to burst through the door. Iroh raised an eyebrow, regarding his adopted son with confusion, but Zuko ignored the gaze and headed straight for the kitchen to help with the dinner. Mai came in next, and she too followed Zuko to the kitchen. Then came Sokka and Suki, holding hands. When Iroh glanced at them, they shrugged in unison and sat down at the table. Aang and Katara walked in, followed by Toph, and Iroh was getting more confused by the second. Why were they so silent? And suddenly, he knew why. A few steps behind the powerful earthbender was a shrimp of a girl, thin as a twig and dirty as if she did nothing but roll in mud. She had her head bent, and she was shuffling her feet, like she was afraid to look up. Iroh's heart went out to the girl. She looked in desperate need of a bath, food, shelter, and a hug. Which he would provide, but not necessarily in that order.

"And who might you be?" he inquired politely.

The girl looked up, startled, but only for an instant. Then her eyes hardened over and emotion drained from her face. Ah, Iroh thought. She is a tough one, wary and full of pride. Never matter: he would soon win her over.

"Your name, please?" Iroh asked, still polite.

"Sazume," she muttered, not looking him in the eyes.

"Would you like something to eat, Sazume?" he asked.

"Sure, sure," she said quickly.

"Anything in particular?"

She thought for a moment, and then bowed her head in embarrassment. She didn't know that there were different kinds of food, having only had the rudiments in her life: water, bread, and spinach.

Iroh noticed her sudden quiet and said gently; "Well, we'll just put out a lot of options, and you can choose what looks good, okay?"

She nodded, and looked up. A sign of relief passed over her features and was gone.

"Dinner is ready!" proclaimed Zuko, who was carrying a tray loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables. Behind him was a three person train: Mai carried a tray laden with bread and a soup tureen, Katara hefted some Water Tribe style dishes, including Sokka's beloved seal jerky, and Aang brought in some traditional Fire Nation dishes, including fire flakes. Everyone who wasn't already seated ran for the table. Iroh, the picture of patience, slowly walked over to pick up the teapot, and poured everyone a cup of his famous jasmine tea. Then he sat down, and beckoned Sazume forward. She seemed shy, and so had not run to the table when everyone else had. She stepped forward slowly, coming to sit at the end of the bench near Iroh, but still far away from the rest of the group, who were laughing and joking while reaching for food. Iroh reached across the entwined arms to bring out a simple fruit salad and a stir fry. He doled out a generous portion of each dish on two plates, handing one to Sazume and keeping the other for himself. The girl eyed the dish with apprehension and wonder. She sat like this for about a minute or so until Iroh handed her a pair of chopsticks.

Iroh wanted to laugh so badly. The look on that youngster's face! She had probably never seen a pair of chopsticks before, and so was looking at them with confusion. She set one down, and then lifted the other as a tiny spear, and drove it into a purple berry. The rest of the table watched her as she brought the berry to her mouth. Suddenly realizing that she was now the center of attention, she blushed, set down her 'spear', and bent her head.

"Do you know how to use chopsticks?" Iroh asked softly.

"No," murmured the shamefaced girl.

"Would you like to learn how?"

The girl looked up at the dinner's other participants, and nodded.

"Good. Now to use your chopsticks properly, you must hold them between the first and third fingers…"

Zuko sighed and returned his gaze to his plate as his uncle's cheery tone explained the basics of chopsticks to the clueless orphan.

If you're reading this, I'm hopefully assuming that you have read the entire story so far. So? What are you waiting for? You know what you have to do. Review!