Authors Note: Glad everybody liked the last little twist I put in the story. So…why would Katara favor Li over Aang? I don't know. It just adds to the drama. And if you know me, you know I L.O.V.E drama in my stories.

Chapter 10

.: Don't Go Crazy :.

With Katara, Li, and Azula

No, no, no, no, no. That wasn't supposed to happen. When she told him to leave, he was supposed to stand, say he loved her and he was sorry he was acting that way, and then he was supposed to kiss her passionately. Of course, nothing happens that way, nothing but Katara's dreams and the fairytales in her head. No, instead, he stood and left, but not before saying something that made a wave of guilt rush over her.

Sorry for caring…

The words echoed in her head. Those words made her go to Li, and tell him she was leaving, (he insisted to come with.) They ended up back at the palace, all sitting in the lounge and drinking tea. She had sworn she just had a headache, and that a cup of tea and some lemon cookies would make her feel much better.

Unfortunately, they did not.

Sorry for caring…
Sorry for caring…

"Haha that was a wonderful story Li, wasn't it Katara?" Azula put her hand on her shoulder, jolting her out of her thoughts.

"Heh, Heh, yeah. Wonderful." She took a sip from her tea.

"Are you ok Katara? You don't look so good." Li put his hand on her knee.

"Oh I'm fine, just dandy. I think I'm going to go take a nap."

They both nodded as she stood and left the room, "She's worried about him. I can tell." Li leaned back in his chair.

Azula sat up straight, "Perhaps. But we can easily get rid of that."

With Sokka

Sokka had just realized how un-fair this little contest was. Toph knew people in this town, he did not. Toph could sense even the tiniest vibrations with her feet, he could not. Of course, he didn't come to this realization until she was long, long gone. He was reduced to roaming the streets, randomly looking for the ring. Of course, it could have been anywhere, somebody could have kicked it, and somebody else could have picked it up.

Stupid, that's exactly what he was. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Hey ma look what I found!" He turned around only to see a boy holding up a ring.

A ring with three diamonds.

With Shin and Ty Lee

"You don't suppose we could do this again sometime…" Shin hooked his arm with Ty Lee and she giggled softly.

"I would really, really like that."

"Could I walk you home?"

"I would like that too." He grinned at her, and they started walking down the path, Ty Lee steering them the whole way.

"So…what's your favorite color?" Ty Lee asked, trying to make conversation.

Shin thought for a second, "I would have to say green. Because not only am I from the Earth Kingdom, I always heard green was about nature and safety, the things I care about. What's yours?"

Ty Lee nodded thoughtfully, "That's really cool. My favorite color would have to be pink. It's such a happy, cheerful, loving color. Not only that, but it's cute too." She giggled.

Shin laughed, "No way? Really?"

She smiled, confused, "Yeah, why?"

"Because, pink and green are complimentary colors." Shin held her hand tighter.

"Really?" he nodded." Well how about that."

They stopped in front of the palace gates, and he stared, "This- is where you live?" he asked in disbelieve.

"Yes. Well, at least my temporary home." She slowly took hold on his other hand to face him.

He took his eyes from the palace to her, "You're amazing."

She blushed, "Hardly." Before she knew it, he was kissing her, and she was lost in another world.

With Mai and Zuko

"I'm going to go talk to Ty Lee." Mai announced and started up the stairs, "See you tonight.

See you tonight…

Man that sounded good, better then good actually, amazing. He had been waiting for this moment ever since he had gotten to know Mai, and now…well, now he was on cloud nine.

He walked by the breakfast room, but stopped when he heard voices, "We can easily get rid of that." It was a girl voice, Azula's.

"And how are we going to do that? I already tried getting her to forget about him. It won't work, she cares about him to much."

Li's voice?

"Perhaps, but when a girl is down emotionally, they need to have a shoulder to cry on. So who's going to be her shoulder?"

"Her best friend?"

Defiantly Li's.

"You, it's going to be you! Idiot."

"Look, I don't want to play this game, all I want to do is get rid of the freaking king and prince, and take their place for power."

"In due time brother."

Before he could hear anything else, heavy footsteps approached the door, Zuko turned the other way and ran. He was breathing heavily by the time he stopped, " I have to tell someone."

With Toph

Toph was going to win for sure. Sokka was too stupid to remember this but, I had power on my side. She was asking around town, but so far, nobody had seen the ring.

Oh well. No sweat. How was Sokka, the idiotic boy who was obsessed with meat, going to find that ring before her. Not going to happen.

Toph Bei Fong was going to win for sure.

With Katara

She had really, truly tried to take that nap. But all she had ended up doing was messing up her bed. There were way too many things on her mind, too much stuff to think about;

Like where Aang was.
He had just got up and left, not saying anything about where he was going, what if he left, to the Earth Kingdom or the Fire nation. Or worse, what if he was hurt, and he wasn't able to return.
Oh spirits.

Like what he was doing.
What if he was socializing, having fun, not even worrying like she was? Or maybe he was even worse than her, crying in some random bar on the out skirts of town.

Like why she had said, what she said.
She did not mean to call him a jealous 13-year-old boy. He wasn't acting like that, he was being more protective than jealous. She should have seen that.
Oh spirits.

Why hadn't he come back here?

To home.
Her home.
His home.

Why didn't he like Li?
Li seemed nice, pleasant even. He did not do anything to make Aang act the way he was. She was not going marry him anytime soon, he just seemed interesting, as a friend. Besides, the spot for romance in her heart was already taken.
Oh spirits.

That was a shocking realization.
Maybe she was getting too worked up over this. He would probably be back by dinner. A nice, cold drink might calm her down.

Oh spirits.

With Ty Lee and Mai

"Oh my goodness Mai! That's awesome! Say it! You have to say it." Ty Lee bounced up and down.

"Say what?" Mai sighed, but she had a slight smile on.

"You have to say I was right, you did like Zuko!" She squealed.

Mai took a huge breath and sat down on a chair, "Ok, maybe you were right. But I definitely didn't expect him to ask me out." She squealed again.

"You have, have, have to let me help you get ready." She put her head on Mai's shoulder, so they were both looking at their reflections in the mirror.

"Ok fine. As long as you don't make me look like you." Mai smirked.

Ty Lee giggled, "What's wrong with me?"

With Sokka

Ok, it took the little boy two suckers and a few copper coins to give him the ring, but he got it, and that' all that mattered.

He won. He won.

Toph didn't find the ring, he did. Toph had to do whatever he wanted her to do, and she wasn't one to back down from a bet.

Thank the heavens. He felt like jumping and screaming for joy, but instead of making a fool of himself in public, he just rushed to the spot where they had first met the woman who had lost the ring.

Boy, he couldn't wait to see the look on her face.

With Zuko

Ok. He had calmed himself down enough to think of what to do, and he had come up with a decision.

He would ask Mai.

She was always so calm, with a level head; she would know exactly what to do. Right now, he didn't want to do anything but forget he had heard anything.

With Aang

He left. He left. He left.

No matter times he said it, it didn't seem real. He considered going to the bar, but he was to pure for that, Monk Gyatso never approved of any alcohol besides a glass of wine with an extravagant dinner.

Then he considered just going back to the palace, but if he had done that, there was no way he would get any privacy. Any time to think alone. Therefore, he ended up here, in his special thinking place. Just staring at a few crystals on the wall.

Katara had asked him to leave. Katara had picked Li, over him. Katara didn't even try to understand where he was coming from. Katara.

He had already realized his feelings for her were more than just a little crush. He loved her. He un-deniably, un-ashamedly, un- conditionally loved her. And he was beginning to think the feelings were mutual, they spent all their time together, they understood each other, he had given her gifts, she had kissed him on the cheek numerous times.

They had all the makings of couple.

So when this new person, Li, had just barged in and swept her off her feet, not only did his guard go up, but when she let hers down, he was hurt.

Maybe he would stay here tonight. Just until morning.

OK short chapter today.
The next chapter soming up,
Toph, Sokka, and the woman meet up again.
Mai and Zuko have their date.
Ty Lee and Katara spend some quality time.
and we learn more about the father/son relationship
between Aang and Gyatso.

Whoo hoo!