Hey my readers. I AM SOOO SORRY. Life has been to busy and then all my Zutara files got deleted. But I tried to make chap 9 extra long. I am not going to waste your time anymore...Chapter 9


"Come on Toph, we're here, Home Sweet home." Sokka flicked his wrist toward Toph motioning to keep moving, as if she could see.

"You guys live in between the outer and inner wall?" Toph questioned as she made it through the crack in the wall.
"Yep. Katara, Suki, Aang, guess what we got." Sokka said in a sing song voice.

Jet rolled his eyes. toph suddenly stopped. Jet turned to Toph and asked, "What's wrong?"

"You guys are living in an ancient earthbending temple." This is where the ancient badger moles lived. The perfect place for earth bending.


Life for Zuko was normal, however business was not. They had a thousand people come in every day, or at least it felt like it. He couldn't feel himself breathe as he ran behind to the kitchen and then to the front, all while smiling, or at least attempting. And when Zuko decided to take a break, Uncle would come in sending him to go buy extra tea leaves. But thats when Zuko realized something. Why buy tea leaves when there is an open field right outside the inner wall with thousands of tea trees. The only problem was he didn't know how to reach the outer wall area. So when he got whatever free time, he spent walking around the wall looking for openings. But he never found anything. Finally his boss agreed to allowing someone else join and help with serve. Zuko was so excited, he quickly started making the fliers saying help wanted. Now he waited everyday for a face to appear, an angel to help him.


'Sokka, we need more rice." Katara mentioned to her brother, as she served him the last bowl of rice.

"Don't worry Tara, we'll go out tomorrow and buy some more." he said completely care free.

"Yeah, we could buy food if we had money. Remember, you used the last of our gold to buy that hat for Momo." Suki frowned at Sokka while she spoke.

"But Momo needs it." he said pouting his lips and looking at the new lemur that they found on the way back with Toph. Momo was playing with Aang, and Jet and Toph were discussing what they should do about hiding Toph. Jet and Toph zoned back into the conversation to hear the lose of money.

"So how are we going to get more money?" Suki asked.

"Well the only way is to work. You know find a job and get money." Jet added when he met Sokka's troubled expression. And seeing Sokka's expression Katara added, "Yes Sokka people work, do jobs for money. I know it's shocking." Jet smirked at her comment and Suki and Toph laughed. Sokka glared at her. "So we should all work, or just some of us?" Katara voiced her question. She didn't mind working. She knew Sokka did.

"I think, all of us besides Toph and Aang should work." Momo and Appa made a noise when Jet said this. "All of besides Toph and Aang and Momo and Appa."

"So tomorrow we should look for a job, all of us." Suki said turning towards Sokka.

"YEAH, Twinkletoes and me will stay and practice. This is the perfect spot to learn earthbending." Toph did a fist punch for her "Yeah". Twinkletoes came into the conversation now that earthbending was mentioned. Katara liked Toph, well sort of. She was a complete earthbender, no doubt about that, stubborn and tough. She was pretty good too. The minute they passed the hole in the wall, she sealed the hole so that no one would find it, and the only way the exit or enter was by tracing the outer rim of the hole which was barely visible. Once you traced the rim of the hole, it would open, as simple as that. However, Toph's completely don't care attitude was also something that ticked Katara. She decided not to pay much attention to that, tomorrow they will all go and find jobs no matter how intense it might be.


The next morning, Zuko woke up covered in paint and papers that read "Help wanted at the jasmine dragon tea shop" He looked at the paper that he was sleeping on which said "help wanted to sleep." Zuko smiled at himself and quickly got ready for the day. He went to town before Uncle woke up and brought all the supplies. Zuko had an itch to practice his firebending, but not in a place surrounded by refugees and di-li. That's why the outer wall is perfect.


Katara walked through the busy streets in her Ba Sing Se clothes. The smell of sweaty workers and misery of the people made Katara's eyes sting. Even Momo was controlled on her shoulder. She kept walking and soon her face was covered by a piece of paper. She removed the sheet from her face and read the scrawny handwriting. "Help wanted at the jasmine dragon tea shop." Perfect. She looked around to see where this tea shop could be. Must be nearby. She continued down the crowded streets, until a wonderful smell hit her nose, hot fresh tea, mixed with herbs and spices. Katara felt her mouth water. Momo led the way to the teashop. She reached a wooden old building. She pushed the door open...

Spirits No...That's him...the fire prince.

Katara shut the door and ran full speed back to the wall. Once she made it through did she find herself breathing. She came bursting into the conversation. She looked like she just battled a sabertooth moose lion and barely it out. Sokka, Jet and Suki were already there explaining their jobs. Jet and Sokka got jobs at a nearby factory that makes metal. Suki got assigned at a daycare. Katara panted and told the horrific sight she saw.

"Kat are you sure that it is the fire prince?" Sokka seemed skeptical.

"Sokka, I am pretty sure I'll remember the guy that almost killed me." But the truth was Katara remembered the guy who had amber eyes that locked her heart and the warm touch that made her heart flutter. Jet remained silent throughout the conversation, his eyes shut and his body leaned against a tree. He had a blade of grass which he always chewed. Katara felt slightly relieved to have one person behaving their normal way. Suki was fluttering around trying to map out escape routes while filling Toph in on the jerk bender. Aang was trying his hardest to meditate, so he left with Momo to relax and figure out what to do. Katara still hadn't stopped panicking.

"Love." Jet said after a long moment of silence from the group. Aang slowly walked in and settled next to Earthbending master.

"What!" everyone spat at Jet. He looked up and only at Katara.

"Trick him with love." He repeated his thought and smirked.

"Jet, did you drink cactus juice? Because the jerk bender and the word love cannot be used in the same sentence." Suki questioned with a 'you're-completely-out-of-your-mind' look.

"You had cactus juice without me?" Sokka seemed offended.

"No I did not have cactus juice. And you know Sokka that I would share with you." Jet directly replied to Suki then Sokka.

"Then explain." Katara was actually a little interested and she didn't even know why.

"Kat you said that teashop wanted workers right?" Katara nodded to Jet's question. "So you should work there. I mean no one knows that we are affiliated with the avatar and no one knows who we are. Even if the prince is banished, he is still the prince of the fire nation. There is some info that we can get from him. Katara, you beautiful, strong and cunning. You know the prince, and fought him before. If you can make your way into his heart, I think we will be able to seep secrets out of him."

"so basically, you want my sister to pretend to love the jerk bender and make him fall in love with her and then find info about the fire nation and then dump him." Sokka said doubtfully like he might get it wrong.

"Yeah Basically." Jet replied with a carefree shrug.

They want me to love him. Yeah I think he is handsome, but he's fire nation. And thinking about that, Katara blew. "YOU ALL ARE FREAKING CRAZY! THERE IS NOOOOO WAY THAT I AM EVEN GOING NEAR THAT FIRE BALL. SOKKA TELL THE IDIOT THAT HE IS AN IDIOT." Katara was furious and standing, pointing at Jet. She looked crazed. Sokka thought that there might be steam coming out of her nose.

"Actually what Jet is saying does make sense. I mean we need to know more about the fire nation and we need money. Katara we are not asking you to live with him." Toph spoke calmly.

"FINE. THE WHY DON'T YOU DO IT TOPH. OR SUKI." Katara yelled, now steam was definitely coming out of her nose. No one spoke.

"Lets take a vote" Aang said in his calm but powerful, set mind voice. A hurt expression came over Katara and she asked

"Aang..."

"I am sorry Katara but it does make sense. I really don't want you to do this but there is no other way. All five of us will vote besides Kat." Aang stated. " so all for Kat going."

Slowly Jet and Toph raised their hands and so did Aang. Katara felt abandoned, like letting a flower flow into a storm, all alone. Now Sokka was pissed

"THERE IS NO FREAKING WAY THAT I AM LETTING MY SIS DO THAT. DID YOU GUYS LEAVE YOUR BRAIN SOMEWHERE. WE ARE THE GAANG, NOT THE 'SEND KATARA OF TO DO THE DANGEROUS DIRTY WORK SQUAD." Sokka yelled at all directions. Suki was by Katara helping her stand.

"I am sorry Sokka but we need this. We have no clue how to beat the fire lord and the only connection we have is through the fire prince. Jet put a hand on Sokka's shoulder and they both turned their backs on the group and talked in a hushed voice. Sokka's hands were flying everywhere, Jet however, was more controlled. Katara saw there figures through the tears. Sokka's shoulder dropped and he sighed. Sokka turned and walked to Katara. He held her hand and with great trouble he said

"Katara, I promise I won't let him hurt you, but..."he stopped and looked to the ground unaware on how to continue. That was it. Tears began to fall like a waterfall and Katara ripped her hands away from her brother. She ran. She ran with all the power in her tired body. She ran fueled by the abandoned feeling filling inside her. She ran deep into the forest. Sokka began to continue her but Aang sopped him.

"Sometimes Sokka, it only takes silence to realize the truth." Aang said in a deep voice.

Katara cried until the bird became her lullaby, the moon became her blanket, the moss covered ground became her bed, and a dream about her mother filled her mind...


A/N: IN the next chapter, I will let you know what the dream is about. just a little cliffhanger. Review please