Where has the time gone?! Finally another chapter after months. Finally we're out of the Fire Nation and...strangely into the fire? This is the first non-Zutara centric chapter thus far. Hopefully I haven't lost my readership in doing this but I swear tehre will be development later on. And before anybody asks YES TOPH WILL APPEAR SOON I PROMISE. In fact, I guarantee the lead up to some Toph and Aang action by the end of the next chapter. Well not necessarily action action but they'll be in the same frame. Thanks again for all my lovely readers and wonderful beta, Turtle ^_^. If you want to read my story, please alert me and allow me to make docX exchanges with you!

The infrastructure will collapse,
voltage spikes

Radiohead

7. The Escape

"Where is he?" A voice asked.

Katara looked down from the banister, and noticed that everyone was congregated at the bottom of the staircase, no doubt wondering where Zuko went. Cautiously, she walked down the steps and was met by the gaze of everyone in the room. Did they know what she and Zuko had done?

"He couldn't have just left!" Ty Lee cried.

"But he did. It's just like him to leave." Mai said. She folded her arms and stared at Katara (who was averting everyone's gaze).

"Where could he have gone? It's not like there's much place to go around here." Suki asked. Katara nervously shuffled her feet.

"He probably went to Ba Sing Se with his stupid hot air balloon." Mai replied, angrily. Probably? Katara thought. Suddenly she realized that she'd stuffed the note inside Mai's drawer so she never would have seen the letter! And when she did find it, Mai would have realized she, Katara, had read it already!

"Mai, no…if he did then…" Ty Lee began, looking down.

"I know." Mai said. "Maybe he never wanted to be married."

"That's not true." Katara interjected.

The disgruntled bride glared at the waterbender. "And how would you know?"

Katara was silent.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door. Katara seized the opportunity to open the door but was surprised to see who was calling. "Hello. We must speak with Fire Lord Zuko."

Stunned, Katara stuttered a response: "He's…he's…ill." An entire royal brigade stood in front of the summer home and three messengers were at the front, the most regal one standing before Katara. She eyed a spacious carriage waiting for the Fire Lord and dozens of carriers standing proudly beside it. She could hardly contain her surprise and the horrible predicament they all were in.

"Ill? Is he alright?" The messenger asked. Mai emerged from behind Katara and greeted the messenger.

"He just contracted a bug." Katara replied, struggling to find a proper excuse.

"Syphilis. From spending too much time with whores and prostitutes" Mai quickly added, much to Katara's dismay.

"Prostitutes!?" The messenger exclaimed, blushing madly.

This time, it was Katara's turn to glare at Mai. Two can play at this game. "Lady Mai is simply teasing you. Someone as honourable as Zuko would never lie with anyone other than his fiancé ."

"So if he were to have gotten syphilis then he would contracted it from—"

"That's enough." Mai interrupted the Messenger's train of thought and snatched the parchment clutched in his hand. "I demand to know the meaning of this unannounced intrusion on our vacation."

"Lady Mai, there has been terrible unrest and upheaval in the Fire Nation. Guo Yin has been diligently sending messages to the Fire Lord but we have not received a single reply from him."

Mai for once, seemed shocked. "Zuko has been sending messages to the capitol every night."

"We haven't received any word from him that is why we must speak to him immediately. Now please, let us through." The Messenger insisted, trying to push his way past Katara and Mai.

"No! He's…he's very contagious." Katara screeched. "It's…likely something very serious. He's been coughing and hacking all night. It could be…" She leaned toward the Messenger and whispered: "Chicken-pig flu."

"Oh dear me! Not Avian-swine influenza?!"

"Oh…but it is." Katara continued.

"We must have a physician attend him immediately!"

"No! Um…the…the…the Avatar is attending to him!" Katara answered swiftly, dragging Aang out from behind her. Aang muttered a quiet, "I am?" But Katara quickly silenced him as he stood before the confused Messenger.

"Um yes, I, the great Avatar am treating the Fire Lord for his Chicken-pig flu."

As if on cue, all the royal attending fell to their knees and hailed the Avatar. The Messenger looked up. "Oh great Avatar, when do you expect the Fire Lord to be treated from this horrible illness?"

"Um…it will be a long and tiresome recovery but…how about…"

Katara drew close to him and whispered in his ear.

"A month!" Aang exclaimed.

" Great Avatar, please, we cannot wait a month! The Fire Lord must come with us." The messenger pleaded. He got up from the ground and put his hands together in desperation. "Please Avatar!"

"SILENCE!" A voice growled from behind the door.

Everyone turned around and noticed a figure clouded in darkness emerge from the common room. There was a veil over his head and he was wearing the Fire Lord's robe. Katara palmed her forehead.

"I, THE GREAT FIRE LORD ZUKO, WILL COME WITH YOU. ON THE CONDITION, THAT YOU DO NOT REMOVE MY VEIL FOR I AM VERY, VERY, VERY CONTAGIOUS. And I sound funny because I am sick." The booming voice continued. "ALSO, NO ONE MAY TREAT ME EXCEPT THE AVATAR."

" Thank you sire for being so understanding!" The messenger exclaimed, nodding his head happily.

Mai rolled her eyes and followed her "fiancé" to the carriage, with Suki and Ty Lee trailing behind her. The head carrier asked Suki to stop. "Excuse me, who is this in your party Fire Lord?"

"SHE…SHE…SHE IS…MY…MY…"

"Concubine." Mai added. "She's his concubine."

"BUT NOTHING PAST THE BELT NO. NEVER. SHE JUST…DANCES."

"Sire is your concubine…pregnant?" The carrier observed, noticing the ever so slight bump of Suki's belly.

"Oh I see, you think I'm fat?" Suki demanded, pushing her face into that of the carrier's. She began to roll up her sleeves.

Noticing this, the carrier stammered, "N-no miss."

"Good." Suki replied, and she continued on into the carrier.

"I'll follow you back to the capitol on my air bison." Aang said. The messenger bowed and at once, the entire royal party set off for their journey back to the Royal city.

"Katara we should…" Aang looked around and noticed he was talking to no one. "Katara? Katara!"


One Week Later
Ba Sing Se
The Jasmine Dragon

It had been week since Zuko had left everyone back on Ember Island. He figured since he had a few weeks left on his vacation he'd use those weeks to find his mother. It's not as if anything was happening in the Fire Nation anyway. All Guo Yin could talk about was how beautiful his girlfriend was and anecdotes about Chancellor Wu: from having his dog bite off his little toe to getting his head piece stuck in a bird's nest. Zuko knew what he was doing was irresponsible and admittedly reckless but he was determined to find his mother by any means necessary, even if that meant abandoning the country for three or four weeks.

As he approached his uncle's tea shop, he readied himself to meet his estranged father and get some deserving backlash from his uncle (who was probably getting ready to leave the country for his wedding). Okay you can do this. You can face your father.

"Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon." A familiar voice said. Zuko's heart stopped. "Zuko?" The man asked.

"Father…?" Zuko carefully surveyed his father's appearance. For one thing, Ozai was wearing a green robe and carrying a tray full of tea cups. In addition to that, Ozai was wearing a shiny green silk apron with floral patterning. Floral silk?!

"Zuko!?" Another voice cried. It was uncle Iroh. Iroh stepped out from behind the curtains of the kitchen, and into the main dining area. His uncle's expression was a mix of joy and abject surprise. "What on Earth are you doing here? You're getting married in two weeks!"

"Uh, yeah…about that…" Zuko replied.

"We will talk about that later for now…Free drinks! My nephew has arrived for a visit!" Iroh shouted. At once the patrons of the Jasmine Dragon stood up excitedly and raised their cups in the air.

Zuko smiled. "Wow."

When everyone had settled down, Iroh pulled Zuko aside for a private chat. It was obvious that Iroh seemed very concerned at the fact Zuko was in the Earth Kingdom and not in the Fire Nation with his fiancé.

"What happened?" Iroh asked.

"Nothing. Nothing happened."

"Then why are you here, and not with Mai?"

Zuko heaved an exasperated sigh. "I just want to talk with father. I need to know."

"Could it have not waited till after the wedding?"

"No."

"Tea?" Iroh asked, pouring his nephew a cup. Zuko reluctantly took the cup from his uncle and drank from it as if it were a shot of rice wine. "Nephew, you seem disheartened. Please tell me if something happened between you and Mai?"

Zuko could not hide his shame any longer. "Yes. And as of now, the wedding is canceled."

"Canceled? But I booked a ship ticket for the day after tomorrow!"

"Sorry Uncle. I'm really sorry. I failed you again."

"Me? Zuko, your decision to cancel the wedding is of your own and I trust your judgment."

Zuko looked up. "You do? But Uncle I've made a mess of everything. I've abandoned my country, my fiancé…my friends…"

Iroh rested a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "You've worked out your own problems in the past and you have been the Fire Lord for six years. A truly daunting task, wouldn't you say? You are not sixteen anymore Zuko, have faith in yourself because you will figure this out."

"I…I guess." Zuko replied, still unsure of himself. I hope.

"Lee!" A voice cried.

Zuko looked up again and noticed a familiar face staring back at him. "Jin! Wow I haven't seen you in…"

"Three years. How have you been?"

"Good." Zuko replied, scratching his head.

Iroh smiled. "I'll leave you two to get reacquainted."

"You still come to the Jasmine Dragon, I see."

Jin smiled. "Only three times a month. When I'm in town."

"You…don't live in the city anymore?" Zuko asked.

"No. I moved out to the countryside a year ago. It's a lot quieter out there and a lot less crowded. I guess I needed a change of scenery. How about you, where have you been?"

"A..around. You know. I moved back to my old house…"

Jin nodded and let out a laugh. "Lee you don't have to pretend, I know you're the Fire Lord."

"Y-you do?!" Zuko exclaimed. Zuko quickly turned back to the bar to glare at his uncle but Iroh had already covertly moved to another table and was flirting loudly with a customer.

"Your Uncle's mentioned it a few times since I've been here, and that wall of News clippings helped." Jin replied, pointing to an enormous board full of newspaper clippings about the Fire Lord, the Fire Nation and a crudely drawn picture of him and Mai in bridal garments. Zuko's jaw dropped slightly.

"Jin, I would have told you before…"

"It's okay, Lee."

Zuko couldn't help but smile.


"Are you excited for your 'date'?" Iroh asked, placing a dish into a sink full of water.

"It's not a date. We're just going out to dinner—just like we did when we were teenagers." Zuko said, fixing up his jacket.

"Going to the Lotus Lily, the most romantic restaurant in town? Hardly a date, is it Zuko?" Iroh replied, smirking. Zuko rolled his eyes and continued to primp his hair. He frowned. It was getting too long.

"Well, I'm off for the night. When will you be in tonight?" Ozai asked, walking into the kitchen. Zuko averted his father's gaze.

"I'll be home in half an hour or so. I still have to prepare a few pastry dishes for tomorrow morning's customers. Will you be meeting Ka Mun tonight?" Iroh asked.

"Yes," Ozai replied nervously looking at Zuko, "tonight she's off early and we decided we'd be going to the Lotus Lily."

Zuko froze.

"Better not, your son has a date there." Iroh said, elbowing Zuko.

"A date?" Ozai asked. "With Mai?"

"No. With Sa Yun's girl, Jin."

"Oh yes, her. Well, I best tell Ka Mun that we'll have to go somewhere else." Ozai replied, looking at Zuko again. "Goodnight."

"Wait, father-"

Ozai stopped, and turned around. "Yes?"

"We need to talk about…mother."

The Former Fire Lord nodded solemnly. "Yes, we will. Tomorrow. Goodnight brother, Zuko."

"Goodnight, father." Zuko raised his hand in a slight wave, then let his arm fall limply by his side.

It was the first time Zuko had gone out without Mai, in a very long time. The last time he had been on his own was when Sokka and Suki married three years ago. Three years, Zuko thought, sighing. Out of all the things he thought he'd be doing in three years, he never thought he'd be going out to dinner with Jin—again.

When Zuko reached the entrance of the Lotus Lily, he saw that Jin was already there waiting for him. She had her hair neatly pinned back and was wearing a pretty pink qipao. As he approached her, she turned her head and immediately greeted the Fire Lord with a warm smile.

"Hey there, you look good." Jin said, looking Zuko up and down. "I like your hair. Your uncle didn't style it for you, did he?"

Zuko snorted. "Ha. You…you look really nice."

Jin smiled again. "Thanks. Shall we?"

As they entered the restaurant, it was apparent to Zuko that Iroh hadn't been wrong. The Lotus Lily probably was the most romantic restaurant in the city. Most of the tables only seated two people, and almost everything was lit by candle.

"So, how have you been?" Jin started.

"Good. How about you?" Zuko asked.

"Good. But, what I'm really curious about is what brought you to the Earth Kingdom this time around? The last time I saw you, you had come back for a friend's wedding?"

Zuko nodded and took a sip of his tea. "Yeah. Sokka and Suki's wedding."

"I also heard that you were also getting married this year." Jin replied.

"Those plans have changed. Me and my fiancé are spending some time apart."

"Oh. Anything serious?"

"I don't know. I just know we're not getting married as of now."

"Lee, I hope you don't find this awkward…" Jin began, taking Zuko's hand. But the Fire Lord merely shook his head, and looked down.

"It's really nothing. It's…complicated."

A smirk appeared on Jin's face. "You know, I've heard that line before."

Zuko grinned.

Then there was a long silence between the two of them where they just looked down at their plates and pushed their food around with their chopsticks. Dishes came and went but words didn't form between them. Finally, Jin broke the silence by clearing her throat.

"Lee…"

"Yes?" Zuko asked, suddenly alert.

"When you told me things were complicated way back when…did you mean that…things were complicated between you and that girl, Mai?"

Zuko shifted uncomfortably in his seat and took a sip of his tea. "I…"

"it's okay if you don't have an answer to that..."

"To be honest Jin, I hadn't even thought of Mai until I saw her again then things just well you know, clicked." Zuko replied, shrugging a little.

"Clicked?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"I never meant to hurt you even a little by— "

Jin smiled. "Lee you didn't hurt me. That question's just been on my mind for a really long time."

As they sunk back into the silence they were accustomed to, Zuko scanned the questions that loomed in his mind. The fact of the matter was, he hadn't thought of Mai until she'd shown up in Ba Sing Se and how he'd left Jin hanging like a loose thread. He remembered the last time he'd seen Jin; it was when he had come back from chasing Mai, kissing her then returning to see Jin sitting like a lone turtle duck on the edge of the fountain.

If he had kissed Jin and had not back away that night, would things have turned out differently? There certainly wouldn't be an angry fiancé and scorned best friend to worry about.

"I'm sorry that I left you hanging like that."

"Hanging like what?"

"When I left you at the fountain to catch Mai."

Jin snorted. "I can't believe you remembered that."

"Neither can I to be honest."

"You don't have to be sorry Lee, but I'm glad you came back. I'm glad we're finishing our 'date'." Jin replied.

And with that, they went back to the silence of which they were accustomed to.


After dinner, Jin and Zuko took a stroll in the night market. During the summer, many vendors would flock to Ba Sing Se for their annual night market. Various things from combs to swords would be on sale for discounted prices and the vendors would open shop at sundown and closedown a few hours before sunrise.

"You know, my name's not Lee." Zuko said as they passed by a fried fish vendor.

Jin smiled, and linked her arm through his. "I know. But you're Lee, and you always will be to me, Zuko."

"You are Jin though right?" Zuko asked, cautiously.

She rolled her eyes and took Zuko's hand. "Come on, let's go buy some ice cream."

"Two ice cream waffles please." Zuko said to the vendor, handing him twenty Yuan. The vendor took the money from Zuko with his left hand, while pouring batter into an iron with his other hand. The iron sizzled and instantly created a mottled waffle shape.

"I never thought that we'd get to spend time together again like this." Jin said, suddenly.

Zuko took the ice cream waffles from the vendor and handed one to Jin. "I never thought we would either."

"So tell me, why did you leave your fiancé?"

Zuko's eyes bulged and he turned away from Jin to hide his expression. "I…it's…it's just complicated. I'd rather not talk about it."

Jin nodded, and smoothed out a wrinkle in her dress. "I see."

"If you want to talk about it tomorrow or next week I might be able to tell you then." Zuko added, suddenly feeling guilty.

But the girl shook her head and looked into the distance, casually digging her spoon into the ice cream. "I'm not going to be in town after tomorrow."

"Why not?" Zuko asked, suddenly curious again as to why Jin had moved.

Sighing, Jin put down her waffle and clasped her hands together. "I haven't been completely honest with you. The reason why I moved out of town is because I'm married." Jin said, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground.

"Married? When?"

"A year ago I met a farmer from Hao Ten, just outside of Ba Sing Se. I married him a few months after. Three times a month we come back to the city to sell our crops and after tomorrow we're going home." She kept her head down.

"Jin…"

"If you're ever in the Earth Kingdom again, please visit me. Our farm is right outside Hao Ten in Hou Nian. I think my husband would be really happy to meet you."

Zuko nodded. "It's a promise."

The moon was shining brightly as Zuko exited his uncle and father's house to sit on the front steps. The house was located in the mercantile quarter of Ba Sing Se, and there were always a lot of people standing around even in at night. Slowly, Zuko pulled his pipe out from his coat pocket and ignited the tobacco inside with his finger.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko noticed that his father was walking home with someone. Must be this Ka Mun woman, Zuko decided.

"Zuko. What are you doing here so late?" Ozai asked as he approached with the woman.

Zuko shrugged and exhaled a breath of smoke. "I could ask the same to you."

For the first time in Zuko's life, he saw his father blush. There were rare times when Ozai would let anyone in his family see vulnerability or weakness, and this was one of those rare occasions.

"Nevermind." Ozai replied. He cleared his throat.

"I best be going home now, I had a wonderful evening." The woman said, and she walked off across the street and into the house directly across from them.

"Is that your girlfriend?" Zuko asked. Once upon a time he would have never imagined he'd work the nerve to question his father in again, let alone question the fact his father was dating. Truth be told, he hated the fact that his father was seeing someone else as if Ursa hadn't mattered at all. Had she? He had been willing to give her up if it meant he could have been Fire Lord. He hadn't batted an eyelash at the thought that his son would've died. No that was for the mother to worry about, a father had no need to worry of such things.

"In a matter of speaking, I suppose." Ozai replied, taking a seat next to his son. "How was your date?"

"I found out she was married." Zuko replied, taking another drag from his pipe.

"Oh. How unfortunate." Ozai said.

Zuko sighed and exhaled through his nose. "Yeah."

"I didn't know you began smoking." Ozai noted, putting his hands together nervously.

Zuko leaned back and took another drag from his pipe. "It's not every year your sister dies."

"I'm sorry about Azula. Your uncle and I were very upset when we read your letter. And we were disappointed that we could not be at the funeral." Ozai started, looking up at his son.

Zuko didn't turn to look at him. "Thank you."

"I suppose you want to know about your mother." The former Fire Lord declared, folding his arms.

There was no use denying the truth. "Where is she?"

"The last I heard, she was in Hao Ten."

"Hao Ten? Isn't near Hou Nian?" Zuko exclaimed.

Ozai nodded, somewhat surprised. "But I don't know where she is in Hao Ten. She's also changed her name."

"How do you know all this?"

Zuko's father let out a sigh, and rested his head on his hand. "I overheard a group of women from Hao Ten talking about a woman named Chi-Lin. Apparently Chi-Lin moved into the village fifteen years ago. Your mother told me that she was leaving for the Earth Kingdom, but she never told me where she was going. All I knew was that she would take the name of one of her relatives and as soon as I heard those women speak I knew Ursa had taken her grandmother's name."

"How long ago was this?"

"Two years ago."

"Two years ago? And you didn't bother telling me until now!" Zuko cried, standing up in anger.

Ozai didn't seemed fazed by his son's sudden outburst and kept his gaze forward. "I don't know if you recall, but you refused to speak to me for the last five years."

Zuko kicked a pebble off the step and angrily put out his pipe. "What kind of sorry excuse is that? I dropped everything just to talk to you now and years have passed since you were in prison. Did you really think me talking to you would have been that big of a problem if it meant knowing where my mother was?"

Ozai remained silent.

"I would have left my friends, my responsibilities, my country—my everything just to know. So why did you wait?" Zuko stared at his father, waiting for him to turn his head but Ozai never did. Instead, he kept his head down and his hands firmly grasping his knees.

"You're a coward. You didn't want to face me because of your own stupid pride." Zuko said. He felt as if words were shooting out of his mouth, raising from the depths of his gut almost involuntarily. "I would have braved everything, even talking to you just to know where she was!" Zuko took a deep breath and tried his best to conceal the tears begging to pour of out of his eyes. He rubbed away the tears with his shirt sleeve, and then massaged his trembling eyelids.

"I'm sorry." Ozai finally said. He cautiously took a look at his son, but then quickly turned away.

Zuko sniffed, and then let out an apathetic snort. "You're not and you never have been." And with that, the Fire Lord turned away and rushed inside the house, making sure to slam the door behind him.


Ozai waited a few minutes before walking into the house. He wanted to make sure Zuko was upstairs and in the guest room before he even attempted to go back in. When he thought enough time had elapsed, he walked up the steps and opened the door.

"Younger brother, you're home." Iroh chirped, putting a cloth over a plate of leftovers. "Was your night with Ka Mun, well?"

Ozai nodded then made to turn for his room but stopped as a towel whipped across his open door. The towel seemed to be attached to his brother's hand.

"You need to speak with your son." Iroh firmly said, standing between his brother and the door to safety.

"I think Zuko has made it clear that he has no interest in speaking to me," Ozai replied calmly. "possibly ever again."

"Zuko needs to know why it is you have told him now, and why you did not contact him earlier."

Ozai snorted, and folded his arms in frustration. "Didn't you hear what my son said? It's because I am a coward, now let me sleep Iroh!"

Iroh put both his hands on the door frame to make a human blockade. "I also heard something else your son said. Ozai, you are a man of immense pride and honour. You must show humility when it is required of you or you will never be able to have peace in your life."

Ozai rolled his eyes. "Let me sleep, older brother."

Iroh let his arms fall to his sides, and let out a heavy sigh. "Pride has made you unable to see clearly. It led to your downfall as leader of the Fire Nation, and it has created an immense rift in your relationship with your son. If you do not seek humility, you will never be able to love him."

"I told him I was sorry! What more can you ask from me? I seldom ever utter the word! Is that not humility?" Ozai shouted.

"An apology is not what Zuko needs to hear!" Iroh answered, pressing a finger into Ozai's chest. "I know that you are quite aware of what Zuko needs to hear, but it is your pride that is stopping you from saying it. Now will you go upstairs, and speak to your son like the man he deserves to be treated as?"

"It…it cannot be done."

"Then I am done wasting words with you." And with that, Iroh walked away into the dim light of the kitchen. "Goodnight, brother."


AN: Now, I wonder how the "Fire Lord" is going to keep up his charade?