AN: Three POV's today, because I love writing in the boy's POV and I'm wondering why I didn't just write this story from 3rd POV in the first place. Oh well, it's fun, hahaha.

Special thanks to everyone who reviewed there were so many I love you all but to save time so I can post the chapter I just give a shout out to everyone here! I love you all and it's your reviews that keep this story up! You guys are awesome and you all get free internet cookies? hahaha!


-x-

Guardian of Fire

Chapter 8: Fire

-x-


Jet

Jet took Nina's absence as a chance to search her apartment - did she know the supervisor put her in a cheap room that was over priced? Possibly a con to the 'new residents' that even his own supervisor tried to pull. Of course, Jet and his friends knew better, threatening to tell the Dai Lee if they weren't given their appropriate living space. But Nina, who's facade of not knowing, well, anything, had kept her here with the child.

If the little monster wasn't a firebender, Jet would have told Nina this upon his discovery. Of course, he wouldn't have discovered it if he wasn't snooping through her things - how little those things may be. He realized after a quick search in the largest room that Nina didn't own much, also finding her strange clothing hanging to dry over the shower-rod. Nothing suspicious, and no evidence for him to take to the police.

Annoying.

But if Jet was known for anything, it was his stubbornness. He remembered Smellerbee muttering this once he told them what he was doing. Meanwhile, his two friends decided to look for food to bring home, and jobs for themselves.

Stalking Nina and Tai through the market later that day, curious by her acts of innocence she kept up for hours, a small accident resulting in a pot of cold tea dumped out the window led the girl straight to Lee. Jet grit his teeth. If only he could warn his fellow of the danger this girl was. But he couldn't approach them, not when the old man foolishly led her into their home with a jolly old smile. He, like everyone else who had met the firebending duo, were fooled easily by this girl.

In a way, Jet was slightly disappointed that Lee hadn't caught on to her act. That she was harboring a firebending child that would destroy their new lives in seconds.

Jet was smart, however. He slipped in and out of Lee's apartment, spark rocks in hand, and stealthily hid in the abandoned building directly across.

"Thank you, for your help, by the way," Nina said, following behind the old man as they came through the door. A genuine smile graced her lips. So perfectly placed as her eyes widened with wonder as she took in their home. Jet snorted. Of course she would be amazed, compared to her place Lee's home must have looked like a paradise.

The old man waved her off. "It's no problem, I shouldn't have been so careless as to dump a pot out the window without checking first. It was only fortunate that the tea was cold. Lee, would you like a pot of tea?"

Lee made himself comfortable on the couch and flipped onto his side. "We've been working all day! I'm sick of tea!"

Nina sat at the edge of the couch, just out of reach of the other boy's feet. She held Titan to her as if he were going to fly away. Of course she would. Wouldn't want the untrained beast to blow their cover, now wouldn't they?

"Sick of tea?" gasped the old man. "That's like being sick of breathing!" In a moment he disappeared from the window's view.

"Have you seen our spark rocks to heat up the water?"

Jet glanced down at the rocks in his palm, clenching them after a moment and jumped down.

As the old man - mister, er . . . Mushi, Jet remembered - came out of the apartment, Jet leaned of the corner of the hall to make his presence known.

Mushi saw him immediately. "You're the young man from the ferry ride."

Jet frowned, tossing the spark rocks casually in his hand.

Mushi blinked, confused for a moment, "Are those my-"

"I needed to speak with you, mister Mushi." Jet straightened to both feet, letting his hands fall to his side.

"I don't understand why you couldn't have just knocked on our door to speak. Come inside and I can make us some -"

"No," Jet said quickly, decreasing the distance between them with a few long strides. "I can't. Not with," - he looked pointedly at the door and lowered his voice - "not with her with you."

Mushi was silent for a moment, before leaning his head forward suspiciously. "Young man, I advise you to explain yourself. Quickly, might I add."

"That girl is not who she says she is," Jet began, his tone hard and eyes cold. It was very different to the warm expression Mushi was used to seeing on the boy, like on the boat. "She's from the fire nation, and that kid of hers is a firebender."

Mushi was suddenly angry, and for a moment Jet thought it was because the old man was being deceived. But with the narrowed eyes Jet knew could only be for him, Mushi took a threatening step forward.

"I advise you not to spout such accusations."

"It's true! I saw it with my own eyes. That kid is a firebender!" It took all of his will not to shout, instead keeping his voice low enough for the old man to hear him. "I've tried to find evidence for the police, following them all day, but she is good enough to cover her tracks. Maybe you, or Lee, could help me and if you don't believe me I could show you-"

"Are you telling me you've been stalking this poor girl . . . All day?" he asked darkly.

Jet stiffened. "The fire nation has breached these walls, taking up the act as a poor refuge. But I know better. Who knows how many other have managed to get through, waiting out their time to destroy Ba Sing Se from the inside out-"

"You tread carefully, boy." Mushi snapped. "This nonsense will get you in deep trouble. To accuse a young girl - and her child! No less . . ."

"You don't believe me." It wasn't a question.

"Even if I did," the old man says, decreasing the space between them and looking up at him with anger deep in his eyes. "than you have no right to go around stalking and threatening her. Ba Sing Se is a city for peace and refuge. You listen to me and you listen to me well, boy. I will not hear of you bothering them again."

"You're being fooled by her act, old man." Jet spat. "Any member of the fire nation needs to be put down before they can bring any harm to innocent people. I've warned you. when she reveals who she really is, you'll see."

And before the old man could say another word, the boy spat out a bitter curse and turned on his heel.

-x-

Nina

Well, this is life. And I'm just gonna have to get freaking used to it. For now.

I give myself another three days before I strangle someone.

I woke up with Titan curled in the cot, half his body digging under me because apparently the large area of space on the other half of the bed wasn't enough. I found myself, woken just before dawn, pushed to the edge of the bed. This brat.

All week it's been like this, and I didn't know if I was ever going to get used to it. Is this what life with children was going to be like?

Ugh.

Not once did he ever ask for his parents, which worried me a little, but at the same time I wasn't entirely surprised. After spending the day or even the night at my apartment, even with his sisters, he hated going home, and would cry like it was the end of the world when he had to. He would pull the 'deaf act', or pull dead weight, and his dad would yell at him to get in the car and he would cry some more, but reluctantly get himself in his car seat.

He's probably gotten so used to being with me by now, that when we do actually get home, he'll probably be mad that he won't be living with me anymore. But I put those thoughts aside for now. I'm not in the mood to have any anxiety attacks about the future. Or possible future things that could go wrong.

Like the fact that I'm in a cartoon, and there's going to be a strict timeline of events coming up.

Though how long that will be, I'm not sure. Rawr.

Iroh tried to keep on his promise for teaching me how to read, and for three days out of this week he's been patiently helping me. Of course, he and Zuko had a job at the tea shop that was quickly becoming popular, and I was busy trying to keep food in Titan's stomach and getting us more than the clothes we had now.

And then there was the incident with the supervisor. He came barging on the door of 'home base' (the closest thing I could call this place to home) and demanded payment for the months rent. Which confused me, because I could've sworn that the first month was free according to the worker lady that got us this place in the first place. Luckily, my knight in shining armor came to my rescue: Zuko just happened to be rounding the corner when I was beginning to question why I had to pay rent.

Red-faced and frightened out of his wits when Zuko confronted him, narrow-eyed and menacing looking while holding a brown paper bag in his arms, the supervisor stuttered out apologies for his 'mistake' and ran faster than I had ever seen a short fat man run before.

Okay, that was mean. But I have every right to be.

"Hi." I greeted with a grin.

"Hi." he greeted back, almost robotically.

We stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, him, staring down at me as if he were refusing to back down from a challenge, and me, giving him an amused smile and trying not to fangirl over the fact that I am speaking to THE Zuko, the fire nation prince.

Yup. I'm still not over it.

I don't think I ever will be.

(Swoons)

He held out the brown paper bag and upon taking it I simply blinked at the amount of groceries inside.

"My uncle insisted that you have food to last you for a little bit," Zuko cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. My stars, he's so adorable and awkward around people! Especially girls that he's attempting to be nice to!

I nearly squealed. Whoa, down girl.

"Thank you," I laughed. Motioning for him to come inside, I set the bag on the tiny round table and began to put things in the cupboards. I was surprised at how much managed to fill the empty cabinets.

I turned to find Zuko examining the room, and though I was slightly embarrassed at its rundown-state, I convinced myself that there was nothing I could do about it.

"Okay, this is unacceptable." He said after a minute.

"I know, I'm sorry it's a mess, we've just been . . . busy."

He turned to find Titan still curled up and sleeping in the cot.

"No, that's not what I mean." His lips tightened into a thin line, and turned to glare at me.

"Your supervisor is over charging you. Or at least, he will be." When the month is over, I assume he meant.

"What?" I blinked, surprised. "He is?"

He shook his head and turned. "How can you be so naive and trusting? It's a wonder you've survived this far!"

"Well excuse me!" I snapped back, letting attitude seep into my tone. "But I think considering my circumstances I've been doing just fine!"

He scoffed. "You're about to get swindled out of what little money you have left. Not only do you have a hard time reading, but you don't even have the basics of money?"

I opened my mouth to retaliate, then shut it when he had a point. Damn it.

"Oh give me a break, mister tall, dark, and scruffy! Unlike you, I don't have a cute baby face that just begs people for tips!"

He blinked back at me, abashed. "I do not have a cute baby face! And how do you know what kind of tips I get at the tea shop?"

"I was there just yesterday!"

"No you weren't!"

"I said hi to you. Remember? Your uncle was actually starting on the basics of money for his break! And then Titan broke a cup so I had to leave . . ."

"You weren't at the tea shop yesterday!"

"Uh, yes, I was. You were ignoring me and using your baby face to get the girls to tip you more."

"I do not have a baby face!"

"Oh, you're adorable!"

His face was beginning to turn an interesting shade of light red now, and I couldn't help but stick out my chest in pride.

I was getting Zuko to argue with me like a child.

Heehee.

I am such a nerd.

Of course, the moment was broken by the stirring of Titan, who began crying because he was hungry and wanted cereal. Something we didn't have, and he was tired of grapes.

Zuko shook his head angrily and rubbed his face, then his hair. "Just, get the kid and let's go. My uncle wants to speak with you."

I held my ground, determined to stay defiant. "You're not the boss of me!"

He growled and ruffled his hair with both hands. "Errgh! You're so frustrating, woman!"

"And you're such an angsty-brat, boy!"

-x-

Zuko

If Zuko was anyone else, he would have strangled something. Or someone. As they continued their long trek down the district, with Nina trying to calm down the hyper three-year-old who found fascination in, well, everything, Zuko hung back and simply observed. No one ever snapped at him like she did; unafraid and not bothering to step on egg shells around his icy stare. What was with her and her odd . . . ways? She used phrases that he had never heard before, and had an accent that made her voice slightly flat and yet exotic at the same time.

He noticed during the couple's last visit (at home, not the tea shop since he didn't realize they even came to the tea shop) that they finally got some normal clothes; although she continued to wear those gem-stone fashioned pants - jeans, she called them, and shoes. Her torso was decorated with Earth Kingdom styled dress, just ending past her waist. Her dark red hair contrasted against the green almost painfully, twirled into a side pony tail. The boy, on the other hand, wore tanned pants and a green and brown tunic. Zuko recognized it as the outfit they had given her during their first visit.

The boy spoke in some kind of babble that Nina understood and she scolded him for being whiny. Zuko rubbed his ears. Thank the spirits that he didn't have tiny brats to take care of.

Of course, that thought came back to bite him when they arrived and not even ten minutes into the lesson on money, Nina had a hard time keeping the boy still.

"Thank you so much for your time, but I think Titan is a little to rowdy today. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Nonsense! The quicker you learn the better!" his uncle laughed, and suddenly Zuko felt his stomach drop. He wouldn't . . . would he?

"Lee, my good-natured nephew!" Iroh called and Zuko groaned. Why? Why? "Could you take little Tai out for a walk? I'm sure he just needs to let out that energy. There's a small park just a few blocks from here."

"No way!"

"That won't be necessary!"

Their voices overlapped each other.

"I am not a babysitter!" Zuko growled. "I don't know anything about taking care of kids."

"Well then," Iroh started, stopping Nina from saying anything. "I guess this will be a good time to learn."

And the next thing Zuko knew, he was out the door with child in hand.

"This city is cursed. I know it."

Because problems started when they moved here.

Actually, scratch that, problems started when she got here.

-x-

It was official. Zuko knew absolutely nothing about children.

"Stop!"

"Slow down!"

"What are you SAYING?"

"No, no, no-put that down!"

"Kid!"

"UGH!"

"I AM NEVER HAVING CHILDREN!"

Zuko took a moment to catch his breath; almost allowing himself to collapse to the ground just as Titan's giggles echoed around him. It felt like hours, but by the position of the sun since the two had left the apartment that morning, Zuko figured it wasn't even that long.

Zuko, son of the Fire Lord, banished or not - Zuko, who had been through hell and back searching the world twice over for the Avatar - Zuko, with the stamina and fighting skills of a deadly weapon, was meeting his match in a three-year-old.

A three-year-old.

How the mighty have fallen.

Letting out an annoyed groan, Zuko dragged his feet to a nearby tree that gave off the darkest shadows and fell straight on his back. "How did I get stuck like this?" he muttered to himself. Another giggle nearby nearly gave him an aneurism. He's back.

Zuko never found the park, instead deciding to find some less-populated areas of the district to keep a better eye on the hyper three-year old. After gathering up some fruits to feed them both (a big reminder Nina had told him before their departure) and three quick potty breaks (Two of which he was sure was unnecessary, considering the child didn't take but three seconds to go), he was already exhausted.

This child must only be shy and cranky around people he wasn't familiar with, because apparently Titan had seen Zuko enough times to become an energy-filled chatter box. He spoke in a bunch of gibberish Zuko had a hard time understanding, and for a moment he wondered if the boy had a speech impediment or a hearing problem to speak like that.

"Titan? Tai!" Zuko called, not sure which name the kid responded to best. He refused to budge from his spot, but his highly trained ears could still hear the squish of the child's feet through the grass and more gibberish bubble from his mouth. The small spot of sun slipping through the shade on Zuko's head was soon blocked, and Zuko opened his eyes to find Titan hovering over him on his hands.

"*I-wanna-pay-wee-me." he said. Zuko rose an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I-wanna-pay-wee-me."

He shook his head. "How does that girl understand anything you say?"

The boy shrugged, though Zuko wasn't sure if that was a mere response to a question or a response because Titan understood what the question met.

Running a hand through his hair, Zuko sighed. "I might as well guess what you're saying. Do you want something to eat?"

Titan shook his head 'no'.

"Do you want something to drink?"

Again, no. Irritated, Titan repeated his request and Zuko snapped forward.

"Oh, c'mon! I can't understand you kid! Speak *English!"

"Do you want to play a game or something?"

That was it! Titan nodded eagerly. Zuko scratched his cheek, looking up in question. "I don't know any kid games."

A handful of grass was tossed in his face. Zuko coughed. "Hey!"

"Pssshhh!" Titan giggled. "I may fire!" he repeated the action, this tiny holding both hands together with his fingers spread out.

I make fire? "Oh. Oh." Zuko caught on. "You're . . . pretending to play with fire?"

"I made fire." Titan repeated with a high-pitched giggle.

Would it be wise to play this game with him here? Zuko wondered. Then he wondered the harm. It was just pretend.

Reluctantly, Zuko got to his feet and faced Titan with his hands out, as if pretending to thrust fire from his hands. "Uh, I got you?"

Titan ducked, 'missing' the fire and ran behind the tree. More gibberish flowed from his mouth as he made throwing motions.

Throwing fire balls? Okay. Whatever could wear the kid out. He sighed and not too dramatically dodged around the tree trunk. He peaked around the base to find that Titan had run off to another hiding place.

Great.

The simmering heat by his ear made Zuko's heart jump. His instincts sprung into action and alarms rang in his head. They're being attacked. With a grunt, Zuko flipped to the side, then whipped his body around in a defensive position. Someone knows who I am!

But to his surprise, there was Titan, looking at his hands in pure awe; his baby teeth glinting from his smile. Zuko momentarily let down his guard. His eyes darted around anxiously, and with a speed that he normally didn't allow himself to use after coming to Ba Sing Se, he scooped Titan into his arms and darted into a deserted alley.

That had to be my imagination, right? Zuko looked at the child again, who clapped his hands and pulled at the collar of his shirt to shove his palms into Zuko's face.

"I did it! Look, I did it!" the boy chanted.

No. Impossible. It must have been his imagination. Pretending to be firebenders just brought back memories . . .

He gazed down at Titan again. The child continued to be happy with himself, and after demanding to be put down to run around, Zuko cautiously let him loose.

It wasn't his imagination. Titan just spat fire at him, and was excited about it. Zuko could remember the first time he could firebend - he wasn't as young as Azula was, but it was a complete accident and happened just when his father started to think he didn't have the 'natural talent' for it. This kid, he was trying to fire bend. It wasn't a pretend game he was trying to play! He knew what he could do (though maybe the consequences were something he didn't know about) and was happy about it!

Did that mean he's done it before? It doesn't make any sense! Why would he and Nina be here -

Nina . . .

Zuko gave a sharp intake of breath. Nina.

Why was she here, with a child who could firebend? Was she unaware of of his abilities? Now that Zuko thought about it, he didn't know anything about this girl. He was right to be suspicious. Every time he or his uncle asked her about her personal life she would always be vague or dodge the question fluidly.

Zuko didn't have all the answers yet, but he would find out. But first and foremost, he needed to be sure, be absolutely positive that this seemingly harmless girl was not hiding anything - at least, not hiding anything like this.

It could be a mistake, Zuko told himself, but he knew he was wrong.

Grabbing Titan (much to the boy's protests) Zuko ran down the street until he was in a more deserted, deeper part of the district. He needed to be somewhere no one could catch them.

An old warehouse south of his new home, Zuko found the perfect place. Titan whined when they arrived, demanding to be put down with the kick of his legs.

"Okay! Okay!" Zuko breathed, checking around the residence to make sure others weren't nearby. He was in the clear.

Zuko picked the child up from the back collar of his shirt before he could run past and set him down in front of him. He then kneeled and narrowed his golden eyes.

"Kid," He held out his hand and fire erupted from his palm. Titan stared at him in awe. "I need you to show me this. Can you do this?"

Just as he began to wonder if the three-year old could understand what he was saying, Titan held out his hand and let out a determined huff. His fist clenched, his eyes focused intensely on his fingers.

Right before Zuko's very eyes, Titan's hands were engulfed with flames just like his own.


A/N: This was not supposed to be as long as it was (because more was supposed to happen in this chapter) but, eh, I wanted to update and it's been a while.

I'm sorry if my writing seems choppy in this chapter. I was kind of rushing through it just to get it done.

On a note for Titan's language: I'm sure some out there would argue that his talking is a little too baby-like even for his age. I know. I just finished a story writing about a four year old and she can speak clearly give a few grammar lessons. But Nina has stated in the first chapter - and several times after - that the boy's in her family are pretty smart and mentally developed, but their speech develops slower than the girls. Titan is based off my own three year old cousin who speaks exactly like this. I'm hoping to give him more speaking parts in upcoming chapters.

*"I-wanna-pay-wee-me." - "I want you to play with me."

* "Speak English!" Because they haven't stated the language otherwise (aside from the writing and reading) the primary language is English.

I hope you enjoyed! :)