Zuko's POV

We all made it back to the palace unharmed. Azulas friends had ambushed her making sure she was okay, which led to them staying and talking all day.

Katara was eventually introduced and I was summoned to the throne room to speak about what had happened. I retold the story, four times. And by the time Hakoda and my father were satisfied I had to know why they said to keep Katara away from a fight. So I asked.

"Katara has been trying an old style bending. It was not taught for so many decades. It is dangerous and she has been asked not to use it. If it is a full moon she won't be able to control herself." Hakoda told me and I felt a little confused. A type of bending she wasn't allowed to use?

"What is it called?"

"Blood bending." Hakoda told me and I simply ran through the idea of that and how she could use it before understanding how she could use it.

"This is something she knows she cannot use?" I asked him just to make sure and he nodded. "Okay. So no fighting or dueling around the full moon with her." I nodded and they both seemed to inhale deeply and look at me. "Or is she not allowed to fight?"

"She can bloodbend without the full moon. She's perfected it. So her not fighting if she can help it, or you can prevent it." Hakoda told me and I felt like they were asking me to treat her like an invalid. I knew Katara would never do something she's not allowed to do.

I agreed and they started to talk to me about what they wanted for the next two years, every ball will be accepted and Katara will be my plus one. Any party with enough notice we will attend together like the Avatars birthdays, mine and Katara birthdays, Sokkas potential coronation or wedding. His birthdays and just about every reason they could think of us staying together as much as possible. When I told them about the agreement we had about a week vacation every three months they were extremely happy and started to make those plans as well.

I sat there and felt 5 years old again, having even the littlest things planned out, and as I excused myself the moment Sokka entered to room and waved to me, they told me they would get a list of places together.

I got out of the room and took deep breaths before facing Sokka.

"They're planning huh?" Sokka laughed and I just nodded and ran a hand up and through my hair to take it down before pocketing the emblem.

"What are the women doing?" I asked knowing Azulas friends still hadn't left.

"Not sure. I got out of there when they started talking dates." He told me and I sighed and went with him back to the room with all the women who were actually starting to talk about the potential wedding and since Katara back was to me I listened. And Azula sent me a smirk before asking about the dress she would want to wear.

"I don't know. I've never been a huge dress person. I have someone on the south who just lets me pick out a fabric and they make it for the balls."

"How boring." Mai's tone made Katara look towards her. "What? You talk about not being a dress person but have a dress maker on hand? What else could you possibly wear?"

"Says the girl who wears the same design to every ball." Ty Lee giggled and I saw Katara look away and down to her hands.

"I wear the same design because my mother picks it out. I have nothing to do with my clothes." Mai leaned down on the chair further before looking towards me and smirking. "Zuko used to like my dresses." She stood then and walked towards me. I kept my glare in place as she got even closer and smiled at me. "Did you like them?"

"I don't really remember one that was different from the other, so I guess if I liked one then I liked them all. Azula is the one who always has the perfect gowns made." I focused on my sister and saw her looking between Mai and Katara and then to me.

"I guess I better be off. My mother and father have probably been awaiting my arrival home for some time." Mai muttered and started to walk out. "Will someone escort me out?" She was looking at me, I could feel it but I kept my face forward and after a heartbeat Sokka offered.

Katara stood and I saw her eyes shift anywhere but me but I knew she was just confused. Mai always has a crush on me, even before the scar. And she once told Azula that I was going to marry her, even with the horrible face defect. She just wanted the power of Fire Lady. Not me.

"Shall we all go to sleep then? It is late. Ty Lee can sleep over, I know it takes a while to get home for you." Azula linked her arm with her only nice friend and walked out leaving Katara and I alone as she seemed frozen standing as the left.

"Shall I walk you to your chambers?" I asked and she looked at me.

"You said you didn't date and no one was interested." She told me and I saw the fear in her eyes and I walked closer.

"Mai has had her head set at marrying me since she was 5 years old. She told Azula that my face was defective." I moved in and I saw her flinch. "Why would I want her?"

"If I had never done that-"

"Katara... I've told you so many times. I can't change this, you can't change this... I don't blame you-"

"If it wasn't for your scar we wouldn't have to marry and you could have your choice of women. You wouldn't be stuck with me." She told me and I saw the tears brimming and I walked around the couch slowly so I could be just in front of her and I pulled her into my chest.

"I am not stuck. I am where I want to be." I told her and felt her arms wrap around me.

"But I don't deserve it." She told me and for a second my mind went to the conversation with her father and my mind made up scenarios about how they didn't want her and why bloodbending was found out.

"Why? And don't tell me it's the scar. Tell me why." I encouraged and she gulped and shook her head. "Okay, just promise to tell me one day. I don't want secrets with you Katara." I begged and I felt her shake a bit like she was trying to keep in tears and sobs and I maneuvered is to the couch she had been sitting on and after five more minutes we were laying on it and she was calming down.

"I had a teacher... she was nice at first, taught me life saving tricks like how to pull water out of thin air if I'm ever stuck or kidnapped or anything like that. And she moved on to teach me how to get it out of plants and flowers and trees." She wiped her face as she sat up and she gulped.

"She seems like she is very advanced." I told her when she seemed not to know where to go from there.

Kataras POV

Zuko had no idea. I wiped my face one more time and knew deep down I had to tell him what I know how to do, what I learned to do.

"She was advanced... and when we were at war before your father took over the thrown she had been a prisoner and she basically created a technique that helped her escape." I told him and he looked confused. "Every living thing from a tree to a turtle duck to a human... has water inside of it. And she found out that you can bend the water inside of a human on the full moon."

"What does that mean? You can take the water out of them?" He asked me and I gulped again.

"I can make someone do whatever I want them to. I could make someone walk over a cliff, kill someone else, I could pull all the water from their bodies and I could lift them off their feet and toss them around a room." I told him and he seemed shocked at the revalation.

"Only on the full moon?" He asked and I gulped again.

"Hama was a very old woman when she started to train me, and the stories she told made me think of the men and women who are probably to blame for our mother dying in that fire, she used me, and she taught me how to bloodbend without the full moon. She could no longer practice and after I mastered it... my father realized what I was doing. And it has been a full moon. She could bloodbend and she started to on my dad." I stopped talking and let the moment speak for itself.

"You protected him by stopping her." Zuko whispered and I looked up and over at him and nodded. "What happened to her."

"Her body couldn't take it. I got too angry and she died after I released her body from my hold. I told my dad everything after that, and since then Sokka watches over my training with new masters." I confessed and while I was sure he would be kind of worried to be around me, he seemed at ease.

"You didn't do anything wrong Katara you know that right?" He asked me and I felt his hand on my back rubbing small circles.

"I let a woman talk me into something so dangerous just because of my deep seeded need for revenge. I was so lost back then, and I wanted to learn to kill." I whispered and as soon as the words were out of my mouth I knew Zuko would react, and I stood quick and tried to get out of the room but he was grabbing my hand and tugging me back into his space before I could get out to the corridors.

"You're not the only one who wanted to hunt and kill those men Katara. Trust me. But my uncle told me that while I was being trained for the best and worst fighting I could ever encounter, it will ever prepare me for taking out someone who hurt me so much. Uncle Iroh told me that if I look for the darkness that is all I will ever see, but if I look for the light I will always be able to find it. I took that to mean, I could always dwell on what happened and seek revenge, or I could look on the bright side and love what I got to keep with me that night. I have Azula and my dad. I have Sokka and you." He cupped my cheek and I lifted my chin and saw the truth in his eyes.

He meant it. He liked me.

His hand on my cheek was so warm and my eyes started to feel heavy so I closed them and leaned into his hand once to feel his lips at the corner on my mouth.

My eyes shot open and he leaned his forehead on mine. "Let's get you to your chambers so you can sleep. We can talk more about our lives in the morning. I promise." He told me and I nodded back.

He pulled my hand into the crook of his elbow and led me down the corridor before we got to my assorted chamber and I pushed open the door but paused before entering.

"Zuko?"

"Yes Katara?" He asked me and I gulped.

"Thank you for not looking at me like I'm a monster." I told him and he looked confused.

"You are not a monster Katara, you were tricked and misguided by someone you thought you should have been able to trust. It is not on you how this ended. You did what you had to for she your family." He paused after saying that before looking back to a wall and nodding. "See you in the morning."

"Sleep well." I told him and moved to close my door after I went in and got ready for bed.

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