Katara had had to take nearly three hours to explain why she was sleeping in Zuko's arms when her brother woke up the next morning. That was not a pleasant event.

"Look, is it my fault Zuko and I were talking? And I fell asleep against him? And he must have wrapped his arms around me?" The latter two were total lies. She had fallen asleep in arms, and both Zuko and Katara knew that. But Sokka didn't.

After the fight, Aang dragged Sokka along to go scouting. "Be back in a few hours, maybe tomorrow!" Aang called cheerfully.

"Yeah, if you get distracted," muttered the defeated warrior. "So see y'all tomorrow."

"Oh, cheer up Sokka. You're getting away from Zuko, aren't you?"

"After what I saw this morning…"

"GOODBYE, Sokka," Suki said, shoving her beloved after Aang. "See you when you get back." Toph sighed in relief when they were gone.

"Finally! Maybe I can get a nap without you and Snoozles causing a disturbance in the earth," she said, waving a hand at Suki. "Come on. Is kissing really that loud?"

"Toph!" Suki opened her fan and covered her face with it. "Please!" Katara laughed.

"Suki, we've been betting on how long it'd take for the news to be out in the open. Toph and I have known since Serpent's Pass and Iroh said it was obvious that there was something between you two when Sokka found you injured," she explained.

"And you can thank me and Twinkles for putting that thorn bush where it was later," Toph teased. "You have to admit, without that bush he never woulda told you he's madly in love with you."

"He never said that!"

"From what I heard…yeah, he did." Suki's face promptly turned a shade of red only found in the Fire Nation before now. She muttered something about "training" and went off, the laughter following her out.

Zuko, still sitting next to Katara, rolled his eyes. "What's the age of marriage in the Water Tribes?" he asked Katara.

"For girls, usually sixteen, maybe fifteen, depending on maturity," Katara replied. "For boys, sixteen or seventeen."

"Toph, what about the Earth Kingdom?" Toph spat in disdain.

"The arrangements are made at fourteen and the ceremony takes place a year later for girls. Guys get all the time in the world," she hissed. Katara smiled sympathetically while Zuko did a quick calculation.

"How old is Sokka?" he asked. Katara paused.

"His sixteenth birthday is in a few weeks…and Suki's his age…oh, dear…" Katara looked at Zuko. "You don't think?"

"Wouldn't surprise me if your stupid brother already has whatever it is you Water Tribe use for engagement planned," Zuko muttered.

"Hmm…so there will be a wedding to plan in the near future," Iroh mused. "Lovely!" Katara groaned and held her head in her hands.

"Oh no…"

Sokka and Aang weren't back by dinner, so none was made for them. Suki had gotten over her embarrassment; she gave Toph death glares (pointless, really) every time it was brought up.

Zuko wasn't eating. When Katara offered him a plate of the roast bird (caught by Sokka before he had left), he merely shook his head.

"Upset stomach," was all he'd say. Katara looked worried, but nodded.

"If you say so. I'll save some for you in case you feel better," she said. Zuko waved her off.

In truth, he was feeling perfectly fine, just not hungry. For some reason, every time he looked in Katara's general direction, all he saw was her face, her form, her. He wanted to know why, but of course, life was never easy for him. And that was why Zuko was not eating.

As for Katara, similar thoughts were running in her head, but weren't messing with her appetite. She was just distracted. Toph had called her name three times before she responded.

"Hey, Katara. Katara? Sugar Queen!" The young Earthbender waved a hand in front of Katara's face. The Waterbender jumped.

"Oh, sorry Toph. What is it?" Toph sighed.

"You gonna finish that?" Katara looked down at her half-eaten dinner.

"Probably not. Why?" The bird was whipped out from under Katara's nose; Toph promptly started to eat it. "Growth spurt," Katara muttered. Suki giggled and nodded.

Iroh looked over at the teenagers. It had been so long since he had heard laughter that wasn't evil; he never got tired of hearing it.

Eventually, everyone turned in for the night. Everyone except Katara.

For once, she was the one who couldn't sleep. Zuko seemed to be sound asleep, not a stone throw away from where Katara sat. Katara sat there, watching Zuko sleep for what seemed to be hours before anything changed.

"I know you're watching me, and frankly, it's disturbing," Zuko whispered. Katara gasped.

"And how long have you been awake?" she demanded.

"About fifteen minutes. Did you get any sleep?"

"I think we switched bodies, because I can't sleep at all. I've been up all night," Katara replied. Zuko sat up, a slight frown on his face. That wasn't like Katara at all. Then again, neither was watching him sleep.

"Is it your brother?" he asked. Katara shook her head.

"Nope. We've been separated before, and he just went scouting. It's not like he's in a desert with cactus juice." Zuko paused.

"Do I even want to know?"

"Let me put it this way; when you're Fire Lord and need an escape, just call me and I'll get you some cactus juice. You'll be a loon for awhile, but it'll let you escape." Zuko shook his head.

"No, thank you," he replied. Katara giggled, then fell silent.

"Did you mean what you said yesterday? About listening if I needed to talk?" she asked. Zuko nodded. "Thank you. It's nice to know someone's there, y'know, just to talk. Even if it's the guy who spent the majority of last year chasing us and nearly fried me at the North Pole," she teased. Zuko chuckled softly. "Whoa. A laugh."

"There hasn't been much call for laughing in my life lately," Zuko murmured. Katara looked at him. "Ever since I was eleven my life has been a living nightmare." Katara reached out to touch his shoulder, but hesitated. She withdrew.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. Zuko didn't respond. "I promise I won't tell Sokka or anyone."

Would it really make a difference? If Zuko told Katara…they'd been traveling together for what seemed almost a month and a half. Something inside of him was telling him he had to tell her now, or there would be major consequences.

So he did. He started with his mother's disappearance and ended with his titles of fugitive from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom refugee. By the end of it, Katara was witnessing what only Iroh had seen before.

Zuko was crying. He was genuinely shedding tears. They were coming fast and furious, but they were coming. It was very unlike him, and usually Zuko would have stifled the tears; something in Katara's presence just pulled all of his stuffed emotions out. Katara reached out and gently touched Zuko's scar.

"How long did it take you to realize that Ozai never has, and never will, love you?" she asked.

"I never did," Zuko replied, "that is, until now. I can't believe I've been so stupid!" Katara turned Zuko to look at her.

"No! You haven't been stupid! If I was in your place I'd've probably been hoping too! Everyone wants to be loved by a parent, especially when you only have one left! Now, believing Azula was pretty stupid, I will admit, but I can't say I blame you. You know what I would do? Forget about Ozai. You have a father figure right here. It's obvious Iroh thinks of you as his own, Zuko. Toph could see that. Well, if she paid attention to things other than Earthbending." Katara shook her head. "And you never lost your honor. Your father did when he continued this war, just like Solzen and Azulon. You are probably the first one in a long time, next to Iroh and your cousin, who are honorable enough to be called Fire Nation Princes."

Katara had never gone on this long with Zuko, and the sheer length of the rant had been cause to listen. Everything she said made sense to Zuko. Was this what Uncle meant by internal turmoil? Putting that aside, Zuko looked at Katara. Tears were forming in her eyes as well. She wiped them away with her sleeve.

"Sorry. I know you don't want pity or sympathy," she muttered. As she went to wipe more tears away, Zuko stopped her.

"No, it's okay. You've just cleared something up for me." Katara looked at him.

"What?"

"I made up this illusion made up from what I was taught and what my father wanted," he said. Katara cocked her head.

"Pretty strong for an illusion I'd say," she muttered, but nodded. "I'm glad I could help you. You're the only one I haven't been able to really help in our little family, as Aang calls it."

Zuko nodded. Family. He finally belonged somewhere.

(Grrr...the stupid site would't let me upload it in Word so I made a dummy Notepad, uploaded that, copied, and pasted. If this chapter looks freaky, that's why.)

Anyway, Katara now knows about the scar and Zuko's whole tragic past. It may seemed rushed, but Zuko's character is all messed up with the whole "Spiritual Crisis". We don't know what he's gonna do. (That's my reason and I'm sticking to it!)

Kudos to whoever can guess where I got the whole "I made up an illusion" schpeel. You might have to double check, since I took out a swear word and an uncharacteristic fragment in Katara's reply and tweaked Zuko's line to fit the story, but it's pretty close!