A/N: I just love all of your reviews that i hurried up and put up the next chapter. so here it is and it's longer than the last couple. i wanted to personally thank all of my anonymousreviewers who come back to check on the story and to my signed in reviewers too, you guys are what is keeping me going...that and i love this pairing... This chapter is a two part one and the next chapter should be up by this weekend, anywho, read on and tell me what you think.

1. i own the lullaby only, i wrote it and everything else belongs to nick

2. if you don't like Zutura, don't read it

3. reviews are like chocolate to me...i'm a chocoholic: FEED THE ADDICTION!!


Atonement: Chapter 8:

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage."Lao-Tzu

"So are you going to tell me what's going on with you and Sparky?" Toph asked that night after dinner when they retired to Katara's room for some much needed 'girl time' as Toph called it. As much as Katara hoped that it hadn't showed, it did; things between her and Zuko were very very odd and it was painfully obvious even to those without sight. "Or am I going to have to beat it out of you?"

Katara started playing with Toph's hair before she answered. "It's been strange..." Katara admitted, settling on the bed behind Toph.

"Strange how?" Toph wanted to know, especially after how Katara and Zuko had avoided saying much at all to each other, other than "pass the tea". They barely even looked at each other.

"I told him what happened with Sokka and I and he arranged the whole thing. I assume he had a hand in your coming here as well?"

Toph shook her head. "Nope, Aang said you needed me, so I came. And...I missed you."

"I've missed you too."

"So are you going to tell me?"

Katara sighed. "I was hoping you'd forgotten."

"No such luck, Sugar Queen...spill."

"Fine," Katara started to braid Toph's long black hair with deft fingers and sure tugs. Toph leaned back into Katara as she talked. "We were getting along fine and we became friends and then...Mai showed up."

"Mai, his old girlfriend?"

"Yes, and ever since she came back, everything has been so...strange. He hasn't been himself."

Toph giggled. "You hate her!"

Katara said nothing.

"Wow, you really really hate her and you are exceptionally jealous too!"

"I don't hate her; I just don't think that she likes the real Zuko... I think she's in love with the old Zuko, the one Sokka called 'The Angry Jerk'. She doesn't know him like I do."

"And you know him?"

"I do."

"How do you know?"

Katara shrugged. "I'm not sure. I can't put my finger on it exactly, it's just a feeling."

"You love him!"

"Why does everyone say that? First Hoshi, then Ming, then Ursa, now you too?!"

"You're protesting, but I can hear you smiling. It's deafening." Toph laughed.

"If you must know...I tried to hint to Zuko earlier today and he looked at me like I was insane."

Toph groaned. "Come on, Katara, you should know better than most girls, boys are notoriously show at figuring things out. Sokka is your brother after all."

"Since when are you an expert on guys?" Katara asked the younger girl.

"When your parents push that many suitors on you, you pick up on things really fast." Toph replied flippantly. "They come expecting this stupid fragile girl and they get me instead. It's quite a shock, apparently. Aang says they're not worth it, but I don't know..."

"What I want to know is, why did you call Aang by his name and not Twinkle Toes...?" Katara grinned as Toph blushed a deep scarlet and smiled a dreamy smile. "I think you better stop smiling, it's blinding!" Katara let the finished braid fall down Toph's back and Toph reached back to feel.

"I haven't said anything to him yet," Toph admitted quietly. "I mean, I'm sure he can have any girl he wanted, he's the Avatar, why would he want me?"

Katara grinned and sat in front of the girl. "Because you are an amazing, courageous and fun young lady, who doesn't let the fact that she's not perfect get in the way of being who she is. He's lucky you let him get within five feet of you..." Toph smiled at the praise. "Be who you are, be bold and tell him."

"Tomorrow..." Toph promised.

"Tomorrow." Katara confirmed and tucked some loose strands behind Toph's ears and started humming a soft melody.

"What is that? It's pretty..."

"Just something my mother used to sing. There are words..."

"Sing 'em!"

"Fine, just remember that I can't sing at all...

When the sun falls from the sky,

And the day has passed you by.

When the stars have gone away

Remember here I'll always stay...

When the storm rages on,

And all your light has gone.

Through wind and rain and snow

Here I'll be to watch you grow..."

"It's nice," Toph yawned. "Makes me sleepy."

"It should, it's a lullaby, but you should probably get to bed anyway." They both stood and Katara helped Toph to the door. "Are you sure you don't need some help getting to your room?"

Toph huffed out a groan. "You know, if you don't stop Momming me, I'll never accomplish anything," but she was grinning. "'Night, Mom!" She left and a few seconds later, Katara heard her smack into the wall. "I'm fine!" Toph called before Katara could poke her head out of the door. "I'm fine! Still adjusting!"

Katara smiled and blew out the candle in her room.

Katara, Toph and Aang all, were waiting at the Palace entrance the next morning when the carriage pulled by four fine black ostrich-horses pulled up. Katara took in a deep breath as the door opened and a small dark shape flew out yelling "UNCLE AANG! UNCLE AANG!" Yuuna ran out of the carriage and launched herself at the crouched monk.

Katara couldn't blame the little girl really. She hadn't been in Yuuna's life much since she left. True, she always sent something for Yuuna's birthday and always told Suki to say hello for her, but it still hurt when the girl ran to Aang instead of her.

Aang lifted the small girl up and Katara was shocked to see how much Yuuna looked like Sokka. There was the same nose, the same shape of the eyes, the same skin tone even. Yuuna's expression mirrored Sokka's; the look of deep concentration mixed with a great deal of suspicion. Her dark blue eyes looked Katara up and down before Aang pointed to Katara. "Do you remember your Aunty Katara?" He asked the small girl.

Yuuna continued to gaze at Katara with the same intensity then reached out one small pudgy hand toward her. Katara was just about to take the offered hand when she heard Sokka coming up behind Yuuna. "Stop moving so fast Suki! Nice and slow remember?"

But Suki wasn't going to be stopped by anyone. She waddled forward and threw her arms around Katara's neck. "Little sister!" She cried and hugged Katara tight. "Look at you! You're so grown up!"

"Look at you!" Katara countered. "I can't believe Sokka let you travel so close to the due date!" Katara placed her hand on Suki's bulging belly.

"I wouldn't miss seeing you for anything! Besides, I've got a month." Suki grinned broadly. "Look at her, Sokka! She looks so grown up! I just can't get over it."
Aang looped an arm over Suki's shoulder. "Come on, I'll show you where you'll be staying. You look exhausted." He led her away with Yuuna looking at Katara over his broad shoulder. Toph shot a smile at Katara as she followed Aang (or at least it was in Katara's general direction). And then it was just brother and sister.

"Walk with me?" She asked her older brother. He mutely gestured for her to lead the way. Katara rolled her eyes and led him into the inner portion of the palace; into the courtyard that Iroh showed her the first night she'd been here. She turned to face him. "I've been thinking...and I just want you to understand..."

"Why you ran?" Sokka interjected icily.

Katara expected it; her brother had always been slow to forgive. "I just couldn't stay, Sokka...I couldn't..."

"Why? Because it was too hard? Katara, you ran out on us, when we needed you!"

"I know. And I'm sorry, Sokka," She clasped her hands together in front of her. "I'm so so sorry..."

"Sorry doesn't make up for it! How do you think Dad took it?! He hardly spoke to anyone after you left. He thought it was his fault. "

She felt, rather than heard; his words lash against her ears. She welcomed the pain. She deserved it, she deserved more but this was a start. "How could I stay?" She asked quietly looking up at him. "How could I stay when I wasn't there to do anything about it? Sokka, I would give anything to have her back, but no matter what I do, how many people I heal, where I go, I know that I can't do anything about this. I can't undo the past."

"Don't you think I would have done the same?" Her brother looked so sad it broke her heart. "You left me when I needed you the most. Haven't I always been there for you?" It was not the morose look on his face or the quiet tone of his voice that tugged at her heart; it was his eyes that were so similar; not in the color or the same but the pain and guilt and sadness she found there. It was the exact same she found every morning when she looked in the mirror. "I needed you and you weren't there."

Katara couldn't take it any longer and she threw her arms around her brother. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry! I was wrong and weak and stupid! I'm sorry, big brother!"

She knew she'd been forgiven, or at least she was on the road to forgiveness when she felt his arms come around her. "I guess," He sighed. "We'll have to figure out where to put you when you come home..." That was his way of saying everything was all right. "Suki and Yuuna are going to want you in the house and Dad's going to want you with him."

Katara pulled back to smile at her brother. "Yeah," She said slowly, realizing that she would have to leave this place soon. "I guess we will."

She and Sokka stayed out there talking, about everything in a way they hadn't before. Sometime later, Katara wasn't sure how long it was, Toph and Aang joined them and all four of them formed a circle just like they used to. It was entirely natural to do so and exactly the same, but at the same time, as Katara looked around, not so; Sokka sat there, looking so grown-up with the new responsibilities of a father and husband and emerging leader. Toph, who sat between Sokka and Aang, had grown into her face in the last few years. With her long black braid hanging over her shoulder and high cheekbones and the same brilliant green eyes that did not see, but could see even the truth; was lovely enough to break a thousand faces. And finally Aang, still bald and always laughing, had grown up so much. Katara didn't mean physically, but...the way he saw things now. He was the same but different and she couldn't say why.

As they sat in the weak winter sunshine, laughing and talking and reliving "the good days" as Toph called them, Katara wondered what they saw then they looked at her? A girl so stubborn she was willing to alienate herself from her own family? A girl who didn't know what she wanted? A betrayer? A fool? A sister? A friend? But as she looked from face to face, she realized that it didn't matter; she accepted them for who they were and they simply returned the favor. She knew that her friends would always be there for her, to face the things together that they couldn't face alone and the thought filled her with a strange amount of courage that no one could take away.


Katara had bid Iroh goodnight and was washing out the tea pot. She and Iroh had stayed up a little later that night than usual and Hoshi had already gone to bed. Suddenly she heard the door open and then there was Zuko's voice speaking very quietly to Iroh. Then the light went out and Zuko came into the small kitchen.

"I thought you'd gone to bed," he said.

"I will be soon," Katara shrugged. "I just wanted to rinse this out. Hoshi already went to bed and I didn't want to make any extra work for her."

"Oh," he suddenly looked very nervous about something. Even with all the strangeness between them, Katara picked up on it and cocked her head in confusion. "Something wrong?"

"No..."

"Well, spit it out then, you're making me nervous," Katara grinned.

"You know me too well," he conceited with a smile of his own.

"I do and don't change the subject...spill," she ordered just like Toph ordered yesterday.

"Well," he scratched the back of his neck, putting off what he had to say. "I was just wondering...if ...you've got an escort for tomorrow."

Confused, Katara shrugged. "No, I guess I'll go with Aang-"

"He's going with Toph."

"And Sokka-

"Has Suki..."

She peered up at him. "What are you getting at?"

He expelled a quick breath. "Do...do you want to come with me?"

Katara stared at him for a moment. "You?"

"You don't have to..." he looked crestfallen. "It was just an idea..."

"No...I'd love to," she assured him. "I really want to, I just assumed you and Mai were going together, that's all."

"I didn't ask Mai."

"Oh...why not?"

He simply looked at her. "Because I want to go with you." He gave her that sweet smile that made him so incredibly beautiful that it made Katara's heart skip a beat. "So," he held out a hand. "Will you go with me?"

She took his offered hand. "I will." Katara looked down at her hand enveloped in his much larger one and she knew that nothing would ever be the same again.


sorry guys, i know its taking a while, but i have to make this right, don't worry, you all will be loving me by the next chapter...oh and im sorry if this chapter was a little corny with all the friends talk, but i was in kind of a sappy mood when i wrote it...anyway, please review...i'm not above begging