A/N: Happy Monday! Let me know how you like the flashback in this chapter! If you all are a fan, I may include so more as the fic progresses. Enjoy! – Kat

Chapter 10: Ember Island Part 2

Zuko was not nearly as intoxicated as Aang, Sokka, and Toph were but, he was still unable to control his reaction when Aang lunged toward Katara. He stepped forward and tucked her behind him. The anger that he so finely controlled came roaring back to life at the sight of Aang attempting to intimidate Katara (a job not easily done). "She is a grown woman Aang. She can do as she pleases." Zuko said lowly with power and authority. At that moment, he was happy that Aang had outgrown the inability to control the avatar state when he was upset.

However, Aang's eyes flashed light blue for a moment before a laugh erupted from the corner of the room.

Toph giggled as she leaned heavily against the door. "I'm sure she is very, very pleased!" Toph slurred and the entire group whipped their heads around in near unison. Sokka's reaction was delayed. "I heard them fucking on the ship before we even got here!" She continued to giggle as she slid down the door until she was seated on the ground.

There was a long tense silence as Aang glared at Zuko and Katara. Katara partially came out from behind Zuko as Aang's gray eyes locked with hers. "You are MY forever girl, Katara!" Aang said as he stared deep into Katara's eyes with immense pain. "I'm not done fighting for you. We can still make this work!"

Suddenly, Aang's simple statement brought her back in time. She could vividly remember the last time he used a similar statement to sway her into doing what he wanted.

Six years earlier, one year after the end of the war…..

Katara sat by the small pond in the Fire Nation Palace garden. She had her knees tucked into her chest as she mindlessly bent the pond water into small waves. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears, but she paid close attention so she didn't capsize the turtle ducks. They didn't deserve to have her negative emotions let out on them. She skillfully danced small waves around the clueless turtle duck, all while only slowly moving her wrist and fingers in small motions. The simple movement calmed her frazzled mind even as tears slid down her cheeks. How could he ask her to do such a thing? How could he ask her to abandon her own tribe?

"Katara…" a familiar voice broke through her train of thought and she dropped the water back into the pond with a splash. She instantly knew the voice.

Zuko stepped into her field of vision with his hands stuffed into his royal robes. He didn't look much like the angry teenage boy who chased her around the world anymore. He had grown a few inches and was beginning to gain the weight to fill out his new height. His jaw had also widened and there was a look in his golden eyes that hadn't been there before. This wasn't Zuko the boy anymore; this was Zuko the man, Zuko the Fire Lord. She couldn't fight the knot in her stomach that formed at the sight of him. He was undeniable handsome.

He walked over and squatted down in front of her. A large pale hand reached out and cupped her cheek. He idly wiped the tears from cheek with the pad of his thumb as he watched her thoughtfully. Katara couldn't help the relieved sigh that left her at the feeling of his reassuring touch. She closed her eyes and tilted her head into his hand. In the next second, he pulled her up by her upper arms and into his embrace. The rough fabric of his gold embellished robe was rough against her cheek, but the warmth of his body encased her in comfort. She forced herself to pull away and sunk back her spot beside the pond. His hug was calming, but her mind was still a mess.

Katara had been living in the Fire Nation palace for a few months now in preparation for a global treaty of the nations that was set to take place soon. She had been intimately working with the water nations to nail out the details of the treaty. The Northern Water Tribe had recently pulled out, which was adding stress to her already frazzled nerves. However, she was also working intimately with Zuko.

They had begun to bond over shared silly faces in intense meetings and little inside jokes. Zuko had almost been caught sticking his tongue out at her with crossed eyes just last week by his senior advisor. They also began spending time with each other after long days with a bottle of wine. He had shared secrets with her he swore only his Uncle knew, as well as his most cherished memories with his mother. Zuko had become her best friend. It was already a stab to her heart to know she would be leaving after the treaties were signed.

Katara was roused out of thought as he sat down beside her and offered her a small paper bag. She gave him a small smile in return and opened the bag to find bread crumbs. She tossed a handful into the pond and watched the turtle ducks eat them.

"I used to spend the majority of my time as a child practicing fire bending. I wasn't a natural. I had to fight for every milestone." Zuko said quietly, while staring thoughtfully into the pond.

Katara looked over at him shocked. There was no way Zuko wasn't a natural at firebending. She had seen him fight and fought him herself. He was incredibly talented.

He began again before she could argue with him. "Azula was a natural. She excelled and was constantly pranced in front of my grandfather like the prodigy she was. I was never good in comparison to her. I was clumsy and reckless with my fire." He looked down at his calloused palms.

Zuko was quiet for several moments. "My mother used to find me here after training for the day. I would be practically seething with anger, but she would give me bread crumbs and sit quietly." He began to chuckle. "She also argued with me when I told her I was as good at firebending as a badger mole was at flying."

Katara giggled at the image and leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder. "I'm going to miss you." She smiled when he wrapped a loose arm around her waist.

"Is that why you're upset?" He asked quietly as he tossed a handful of bread crumbs to the turtle ducks. They both watched them chow down for a moment.

"Well, I am upset about that too." She paused to let out a breath with her head still on his shoulder. "I talked to Aang a bit ago. He wants me to postpone going back down to the Southern Water Tribe to be by his side to begin the construction on Republic City."

"I take it you do not want to?"

She sighed. "I need to go help the Southern Water Tribe expand. People have been migrating down from the Northern Water Tribe and we're doing better than ever, but Aang just kept repeating that I was his "forever girl" and I had something important to begin."

"And what is that?" He inquired.

"He told me it was a surprise, but that I would be ecstatic." Katara sat up and pulled her knees to her chest again. "I feel stuck Zuko. I love Aang, I really do. He's just still a child in so many ways."

"What are you saying Katara?" Zuko turned to her, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to understand.

"How can I know if I want to be with him forever right now? He's only thirteen." She admitted quietly.

"I'm going to warn you that I'm about to channel my Uncle." Zuko said and sat up straight, while pressing a hand to his chest. "Young Katara, you have to follow you heart or your heart will follow you into a mistake." He said in a throaty voice that was dead on for Iroh.

Katara let out a hearty laugh. "Thank you, Zuko."

He stood up and kissed her head. "Follow your heart." The words were a mere whisper as he exited the gardens with his robes in the wind.

Katara shook her head as she came out of the stress induced day dream. The memory was incredibly vivid to her because it was the beginning of her doing the exact opposite of what Zuko suggested. She began making decisions out of what was expected of her. A week after her talk with Zuko in the garden, Hakoda came to visit the Fire Nation for the treaty signing. That week would be when Aang would tell her father that he was in love with her and planned on marrying her. Katara could also vividly remember the pride in her father's eyes when his only daughter would marry the avatar. She would then accept Aang's invitation to move to Republic City, but not before Zuko pressed her into the wall of his study and kissed her in a way she could never forget. Once they moved to Republic City, Aang would tell her his surprise was that she was going to help repopulate the Air Nation.

She shook her head again and refocused on her gaze on to the teenage airbender. The frustration bubbled up from that day he had acted like repopulating the Air Nation would be the greatest honor of her life. "Yes, Aang. I may be your "forever girl", but you never asked me if I wanted to be! I'm sorry you had to find out about Zuko and I like this, but we've been separated for a very long time."

Suki, Zuko, and Sokka watched Katara with wide eyes as she lost it. Her arms flew widely as Aang faced her with a shocked expression.

"I'm not going to say anymore tonight. We can talk privately tomorrow. Everyone has been drinking and everyone needs to go to bed, NOW!" Katara demanded like an angry mother and placed her hands on her hips.

Suki grabbed Sokka by the arm and fled, while Aang huffed and nearly flew out of the back door with a whoosh. In seconds the kitchen was silent again. Katara and Zuko exchanged glances, but was quickly startled by the sound of Toph snoring. Katara sighed. "Come on, will you help me take this traitor upstairs?"