Zuko's eyes flickered lazily and the lights in the room grew brighter than they had ever been. The fire Lord's chest expanded and contracted with the first true breath and Aang felt himself hold his breath.
Slowly the golden eyes looked around the room to regard Aang with curiosity. His fingers twitched in response to movements. The fire burning from the Fire Sages lessened and died altogether. The elder Fire Sage turned to the guards and called for some food and water. All the meanwhile Aang regarded his friend.
Zuko shifted on the platform and felt his muscles scream out with misuse. He lay back down as his strength dwindled. His head began to pound in response to his efforts.
"What happened?" He asked. There was a different tone in his voice, one that Aang could hear faintly. The memories were slowly coming back to Zuko's mortal form and with them the bit of the spirit world still trapped within him too. He remembered what he could and it was obvious on his face most of the memories were unpleasant.
"You've been out for almost two weeks. Everyone thought you were going to die." Suddenly something flashed across Zuko's eyes and his arm came out with a strength Aang didn't think was possible. His hand gripped the Avatar's shirt and he pulled Aang closer.
"Where's Katara?" The fire began to burn intensely in the room and Aang could even see the reflection in Zuko's golden eyes. Aang struggled with Zuko's hand to release his outfit and finally the Fire Lord relinquished the grip he had on the clothing.
"She and Maya are at the palace. They had to return to take care of the council." Zuko's eyes flicked up at the Avatar, his expression growing colder. Aang looked around the room. It seemed every bit of fire responded to Zuko's thoughts and feelings. It made Aang feel uneasy witnessing such uncontrollable power.
"Tell me everything that happened." The Fire Lord demanded.
A Fire Sage returned with some water and a few doctors who slowly began to revive the energy in the Fire Lord's body. All the while Aang stayed with his friend, they talked as the Fire Lord's body was slowly revived. His spirit was strong but his body was weak from the deprivation of nutrients.
He wanted to know everything that had happened while he was gone and as Aang told him, Zuko's mind seemed to settle and ease, but there was obviously something bothering him.
"Zuko? Is something wrong? What happened while you were in the spirit world?" The looked that flashed across Zuko's features frightened Aang. He was quiet for a moment before he began to relive every terrible moment of his inconsolable wandering. Aang listened with fascination and intrigue. They traded stories and as Aang spoke of his meeting with Agni Zuko stiffened. Aang finished his story before he questioned Zuko.
"Agni came to me, right before I woke up. He wanted me to stay in the spirit world but I refused. I don't understand why he came to me." Aang wandered the same thing but both were not forthcoming with their thoughts at the time.
It was at Zuko's request the Fire Sages and Aang were kept from alerting the entire world that he had awaken. Zuko had something else in mind and he was keeping his thoughts locked away from Aang extremely well.
After a few days of rest and rehabilitation, Zuko was able to get up and walk around but his body was still too weak for him to walk on his own and it would be at least another week before Zuko would be able to do so, but his determination would not let him stop. Aang stayed with him every minute to help him as he knew Zuko would have done for him. Their friendship grew even more as they helped each other.
After another week had passed Zuko could no longer bear the boredom.
"Aang, I want to see Katara. Let me go to her." Aang was silent for a moment.
"You're not nearly well enough to travel. You should wait another week or I'll call her and she can come see you." Zuko ground his teeth together.
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Sozen whether you're coming or not." Aang sighed and nodded knowing it fruitless to fight with Zuko on the subject. The Fire Lord was known too well for his stubbornness. It made Aang smile to know Zuko had not changed after everything he had been through. Some things, he guessed, just never changed.
Katara had not slept in a very long time. The work she had to do seemed endless. A couple of times she had had to rewrite her reports because it had mysteriously gotten wet. The only thing that kept her going was the daily visits from Maya. The little girl was the only thing that brought a smile to her mother's face. She realized then, just how important the family visits had been to Zuko.
Thoughts of him made her eyes water and she pushed them back. She couldn't risk ruining another set of parchment. Already she was overstressed and overworked and she wondered how Zuko had ever managed to handle everything. She looked at the desk in his study piled high with documents she needed to read and sign and she almost cried at the amount of work. She had to force herself day after day of hard work to try and sleep. Even with her daughter snuggled warm against her side she could not manage to sleep and if she did it was often restless. Her mind worried over so many things.
She had gotten a letter from her children in the South Pole and they were having fun but they were worried about their father and Katara couldn't help herself. Everything she did made her think of Zuko. The only comfort she had was in Iroh's visits. She knew occasionally he slipped in some sleeping herbs in her tea so she could try to get some sleep but even then they did not always work. She just had too much work to do.
Katara shuffled through the parchments on her desk and she put her head down into her hands as she felt anxiety begin to well up inside her. There was a knock on the door and she sniffled trying to wipe away her tears. It was probably Iroh and right now she could use a bit of comfort.
"Come in." She replied meekly. She turned away to wipe her face some more right before she heard the door open. She took a deep breath and turned.
Her heart skipped a beat and she stared in silence. A knot caught in her throat and she felt her breath leave her body.
He smiled.
"Katara." He said her name and she almost melted. This time the tears did flow freely and she ran to him. She was almost afraid to touch him he seemed so frail. He was being supported by Aang who slowly helped him sit down on the lounge chair. With a quick smile Aang left the room. Katara hardly noticed for her eyes were directed towards another.
"Zuko?" She whispered. She sat down next to him and her hand came up to his face as if feeling him would make him real. Her hands traced over his cheeks and then into his hair.
"Spirits, you're as beautiful as ever." He said. She smiled and swallowed. It was him. He had come back for her. Suddenly he leaned forward and kissed her and she felt her heart beat quicken as she recognized the feel of him once again. He kissed her softly and quietly and she responded. They couldn't get enough of each other it was all so unreal for them.
"Zuko, I thought you were going to die. I didn't know what to do. You were so weak and I couldn't help you! I wanted to, but I…" He shushed her cutting her off as he noticed she was beginning to cry.
"Everything's alright Katara. I'm here now and I'm never going to leave you again." She wrapped herself in his embrace and they stayed like that just holding each other.
Finally she shifted and stared at him wide eyed.
"Oh Maya and Iroh will want to know that you're here I need to call them. Katara opened the door and saw Iroh and Maya walking hand in hand the old man grinning widely. She opened the door to let them in and Maya instantly seeing her father let go of Iroh's hand and ran to him. She wobbled on her chubby legs with determination. She reached her father smiling as he lifted her up, to the best of his abilities, and sat her on his lap. He hugged her closely and the little girl began to cry.
"Daddy!" She yelled into his chest. Iroh wobbled over on his cane and sat down beside Zuko.
"It is good to see you are well nephew. Wait until you hear what Katara said to the council." Zuko's head shot up from his daughter.
"Council? Katara went to see the council?" He asked incredulously. Iroh nodded.
"Yes it was quite a spectacle. The council was angry and they demanded that Jing take the succession to be Fire Lord since Lee was too young, but Katara told them off. I've never seen Jing so afraid before."
"They did what? Just wait until I get my hands on them, I'll show them…"
"Ow! Daddy stop!" Zuko looked down at his daughter and noticed she was wriggling in his lap. She had tears on the sides of her eyes as she looked at her hands. His anger had raised the body temperature of his body so fast it had almost burned Maya. She scrunched her eyebrows together and pouted her lips.
"Bad Daddy!" She yelled at him. He broke into a grin just happy to have his family back again. And to be alive.