Yes, I know how terribly late this is and you may flog me if you wish, but know that it is so very difficult to write when THERE IS NO INSPIRATION!! However, I did chance upon the leaked episodes of the Boiling Rock pt.1 and 2. So I shall continue…

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, peeps. You know it, I know it… so… there ya go.

Katara only felt a small twinge of uneasiness as she fell in step with Lee and Jet. The two fought like cats and dogs the entire evening, but for some reason, it was harmonious. However, while the barbed insults continued to fly, a new kind of challenge permeated the atmosphere between the three. After winning two paper kites as prizes at the balloon booth, Jet made a point to win something for Katara at every booth they stopped at. This, of course, did not sit well with Zuko, who was known for his superb abilities in the Fire Nation. Even his sister Azula had to admit (though NO one ever knew!), that Zuko could outshoot, out fight, and out aim anyone who pitted themselves against him. Thus, the challenge emerged. Zuko would win at a booth, and Jet would attempt to beat his win with a better one.

The end result was a bunch of prizes that no one had enough room to carry, and a whole load of very pleased vendors. The boys even managed to draw crowds to the more difficult booths, such as the shooting range and the strength test. Katara sat back and watched the whole thing with gentle amusement. She was happy that they were no longer being as vicious and uncomfortable with each other. It also flattered her that underneath all of that male ego and testosterone, they were trying to impress her. She laughed when Zuko lost at the fishing booth, and giggled behind her hand when Jet missed a milk jug because a pretty girl winked at him. Soon, though, she became tired from trailing them all over the place while lugging an arm load of prizes around, and decided to stop at a small tea vendor for some rest and refreshments. It just so happened that Iroh had decided to stop there as well.

"Uncle, how nice to see you! I was afraid we'd miss each other all night." The old man chuckled as he appreciatively sipped on his hot cup of tea.

"So I take it you found my nephew. Where is he, by the way?" Katara pointed off in a direction behind her where Zuko and Jet were once again ensconced in a game.

"He decided to try his luck at the vendors. He's really good, actually." Iroh nodded.

"Lee has always been very good at competitions. It is in his blood to challenge and win. You can understand, right?"

"Yes. While the Fire Nation is a bit more… aggressive than the Water Tribes, we do have our pride concerning winning. In my village, we hold yearly competitions for the young warriors and benders. There are skill, knowledge, strength and endurance challenges, and each one is designed to bring out the best." Katara's eyes took on a faraway glaze as she remembered. Iroh watched all of this with a knowing sadness. He too missed his home, but unlike the young woman before him, he could never return. He shook his head to rid himself of his sad thoughts, and turned again to hear what she was saying.

"Uncle?"

"Yes?"

"I asked if you had anything like that in the Fire Nation?" Iroh shook his head.

"No, my dear, not like that. Our competitions are death matches. If someone loses, there are dishonored, and in the Fire Nation, that is a fate worse than death. However, in some of the smaller towns, we do have annual festivals that have friendly competitions, but they are not as popular as they once were."

"Uncle!" Katara and Iroh turned to see Zuko walking swiftly towards them, a small smile on his face. Jet followed behind, seeming distracted. "I won another game, Katara." He said it with such pride that the girl could do no more than smile. Jet came to her other side and bent down.

"Katara, I know I said I'd run around with you all night, but…" It was then that Katara noticed the young woman standing off to the side. A blush adorned her face, but her head was ducked in shyness. Jet continued, a blush of his own coloring his tanned cheeks.

"She doesn't have anyone to take her around the carnival, and I feel bad leaving her, so…" Katara smiled warmly and put a hand on his arm.

"Jet, go have fun! I'm kind of tired anyway, so I may just walk around some more before finding my crew and heading home." Relief flooded the young man's face as he stood.

"See ya, Katara! Oh, and you…" Jet walked up to Zuko with a smirk on his face. Zuko glared back. However, an insult and a clenched fist were not the things Jet thrust out before him. Instead, he offered an outstretched palm.

"You're pretty good, for a loser." Zuko clasped the proffered hand in his own and allowed Jet to give him a hearty shake.

"You're not bad either, for a smartass." Jet smirked again and saluted, and then was whisking a still blushing Jun away into the night. Zuko turned back to Katara with a slightly embarrassed look.

"Do… you …? Well. Do you want to… uh…"

"I'd love to!" Iroh hid a laugh behind his cup.

"I shall keep these wonderful prizes here with me. You two go and enjoy the rest of the night."

Suki was beating him to a pulp, this was sadly obvious. Of everything they had done, Sokka had missed darting the balloons completely, had only managed to make "Sissy Girl" on the strength test, and last, but not least, the poor young man just could not seem to shake a slightly inebriated lemur whose sole purpose, it seemed, was to make a sticky mess of his hair. Suki, however, seemed to find all of this extremely funny, and teased Sokka mercilessly.

"I don't know why it bothers you, Sokka! It certainly doesn't upset me in the least." Sokka blushed red, but slipped an arm around Suki's shoulders.

"I know, but I'm a guy. Guys are supposed to be great at stuff like this!"

"Well, you caught me two beautiful gold fish!" it was true. Sokka gazed down at the small, clear bag in Suki's hand with pride. For inside the little bag of water where two very large goldfish with glittering fins and sparkling scales. He sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah, but look at all the stuff you won, and I-"

"I don't care, Sokka. So you can't win at a few games. I know that when it really counts, you can do anything!" Suki smiled at Sokka's sputtering and laid her head on his arm. It was a perfect night. Sokka finally stopped beating himself up over the losses, but could not get over having Momo as his constant, sticky companion.

"We'll get rid of him as soon as we find Aang," Sokka hissed as the little animal began to tangle his paws in Sokka's hair.

Meanwhile, said Avatar was having trouble holding all of the bags of goldfish in his hands. When he had claimed that it would be easy, he had never dreamed that it would be that easy!

"Aang, don't you think we have enough fish?" Toph felt the bags doubtfully as Aang scooped up yet another of the bug-eyed marine creatures. The vendor was shocked and perplexed, as Aang was draining him of his supply.

"Well, you said you wanted fish!"

"Yeah, but I didn't mean the entire tank! Where will we put them?"

"Look kids," the vendor said with exasperation, "If I give you guys a free bowl, will you please leave before all of my fish are gone?" Aang nodded sheepishly as the man handed over a large bowl. He took Toph's arm and led her away.

The Avatar smiled to himself.

"Did I get enough fish, Toph?" The earth bender scoffed.

"Yeah, we'll be eating fish for months thanks to you." Aang was horrified.

"WHAT? What do you mean, eat them? We can't eat them, they're pets! Besides, they're way too small to eat. And I DON'T EAT MEAT!!" Toph shook her head.

"I was joking, idiot."

"Oh." They walked in amiable silence before Toph spoke up.

"Sokka's coming. He has a friend with him."

"Aang! Toph!" Sokka loped up to them, Suki in tow.

"Hey, guys," Aang said, waving one of m any bags in the air, promptly traumatizing the fish in those bags for life.

"Fish much, Aang?" Sokka said as he eyed the many different golds and oranges. The boy rolled his eyes pointed at Momo.

"Meanwhile, what happened to my lemur?" Sokka raised his eyebrows expressively and pried said animal from his head.

"Your lemur has eaten everything sugary and sticky here, and is now your problem. Look what he did to my hair!" As Sokka lamented on his ruined doo, Aang looked around with confusion.

"Have you guys seen Katara anywhere? She disappeared earlier, and I was sure we'd run into her."

"I'm sure she's around here somewhere, Aang. She knows were supposed to meet at Appa in an hour." The avatar nodded slowly.

"I guess." He then brightened as he smelled a sugary fragrance wafting in the night air. "Toph, are you hungry?"

"Duh." With that, Aang, Momo and Toph were gone, leaving Suki and Sokka in their dust. The two looked at each other and shook their heads.

"And to think that boy is the last hope for the world." Sokka got a sock to his arm for his irreverence.

"Katara, there's something I need to tell you." Katara looked over at Zuko, a contented smile on her face. They were seated under an overhang just beside a sweets vendor. Both were munching on a sugary pastry. Her image swam in front of his face, but zuko viciously reined in the feeling of being sick. This feeling had been with him all night, but he had tried to make it go away as the night wore on. He thought he'd been successful. This confrontation was not helping.

"Tell me what?" Zuko shifted uncomfortably, trying to come up with a good way of breaking the news to her without having her hate him.

"You see… I'm not who you think I am." Katara eyed him shrewdly.

"Lee, what more do I need to know about you? You're a sweet guy who has a dark past as a soldier of the Fire Nation, but you left that behind to become a refugee. You take care of your old uncle and can cook better than anyone I know. You're also a masked fighter who spends his time saving clumsy waterbenders." Zuko didn't laugh. In fact, he became more serious and anxious.

"No, you don't understand. I'm not… I'm not just a Fire Nation refugee." It was then that Zuko realized that the dizzy feeling he felt was not uneasiness, but sickness. That burning sensation in his stomach was not fear, but nausea. He lurched forward and away, determined not to disgrace himself in front of Katara. However, curse her, she followed him, gasping as he fell to his knees in an alleyway and retched. Her hands were immediately on his shoulders, pulling him to her so she could assess the damage.

"You're burning with fever! Why didn't you tell me you were feeling bad?"

"I didn't realize it. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm getting Uncle." Thankfully, said older man was not far away, and between them, got Zuko out of the festival and into a passing rickshaw.

"I'll be over to tend him as soon as I tell my friends where I'll be." Neither Iroh nor Zuko nay said her. She waved them off and whirled away. Zuko, quickly losing consciousness, pulled his uncle down so he could hear.

"I'm telling her the truth, Uncle."

"Is that wise, my nephew?"

"I can't live like this anymore, Uncle. I'd rather her know the truth now and get it over with." The young man slipped into blessed sleep, missing the worried glance his uncle gave him.

"Yes, my nephew, but can your heart take another blow such as this?"

I know, I am so evil. However, I wanted this scenario, and so I shall have it. Next chapter, he tells her the truth. I wonder how it will go? Review please!