A/N: Thank the spirits I had some extra time to get this chapter done early (yay!). Important news: my profile page now contains more details about "My Other Daughter," the tentative title of this saga's upcoming companion story. Comments regarding the tentative title/summary would be much appreciated.

Zuko doesn't argue as we sit down at our corner table to eat, and why should he? His uncle meant the gesture out of love for his nephew, though I thought Iroh would be more insightful. Doesn't he see the sparks of affections we've kindled? Unless that's it exactly. That long time ago when we were by a canyon creek, Iroh told me his nephew was a troubled young man and that I would be a good influence on him. He told me you are not too proud to admit your faults and have courage to stand up to him and then smiled knowingly, like we now held some secret between us. Nowhere in that did he say I should be anything more to Zuko than an influence as his friend.

Or maybe I'm just overthinking the details.

I quench my bitterness with warm tea. At least the spirit of this drink is comfort. Across the table, Zuko picks at some rice. Like me, he's probably neither full nor hungry. If anything, he's embarrassed. I try to guess what he's thinking, but sadly I can only wonder. Haven't I been through this before, trying to figure out what Zuko is like when he's alone with his thoughts? That's still the one thing, after all this time, I can never really know. Doesn't mean I can't try to get inside his head.

Maybe he's thinking of Jin. It could be that he did like her in some small way after all. And what if he likes the date? She'll come on her best behavior and in her best clothes, grinning and tugging gently on her braids, tussling his hair and giggling at all the right moments. They'll have dinner and go out for a stroll in the welcoming dark that calms uncertain hearts. Walking hand in hand, they'll come to a plaza ringed with glowing torches that cast a golden shade across the flagstone road and the water splashing into a central fountain. Jin will turn to Zuko, gazing shyly now as her fingers grip his more tightly. She'll whisper soft words that are more sacred somehow because they are out of reach of the day's harsh light. And then she'll press her lips to his, very gently. So slowly, so timidly, that Zuko won't even resist. They'll kiss in the comforting, quiet dark that protects all secret truths. And the next day they'll return, now a couple, and I'll be standing at the top of the steps watching them rise together—

"Hey. Have you finished your dinner?"

I blink at the waving hand that suddenly materializes in front of my face. "Huh?"

Zuko sighs. "You were distracted. I just wanted to know if you're ready to go."

"Yeah. I guess so."

"Uncle." My friend brings our used plates and cups to the counter and sets them down. "Are you coming with us? We have room in the house."

"My place is here with the tea," Iroh says, half in jest. More seriously, he adds, "There is a place in the back I use for rest. We will see one another again in the morning for breakfast, bright and early! But until then, go with your friends." The corners of his eyes crinkle in a smile. "You are beginning to find your own way."

Zuko hugs his uncle. "Stay safe," he says. Then we wish Iroh goodnight and go back out into the evening world.

The weight of the swords on my back is a constant reminder of Zuko's presence. We are walking so close that it would take the slightest sway of my hand, just enough motion to cross two inches of space, and our fingers would be touching. Probably the worst feeling is a desire so strong that the longing literally makes your heart hurt. Each time I think of holding his hand, the pain starts up again because I'm not sure if it's a thing I can ever have. There's Jin, but even without her, there's the girl we met by the drill. Mai, who he promised to find somewhere in the city. What hurts most of all is being so close to Zuko right now in physical distance, but really, knowing we're further apart than we've ever been. That's the worst feeling: understanding there may be things in life that you can never hold, touch, have, and all because other girls—

I stop.

Just stop walking.

Stop right there in the street.

"Katara? What's wrong?"

He's turned to look at me across all those miles of distance, but I feel like I need to sit down and breathe deeply until my head clears. I am not the jealous kind to be having such thoughts. This is about Zuko and his happiness. I'll support him in whatever he chooses.

"Oh, uh, I'm fine. Just . . . uh . . . not used to how heavy these swords are." I pretend to pant. That he quirks an eyebrow lets me know he's not at all convinced, but he lets it go.

"Well, okay. If you're sure."

"Yeah, totally." I jog a few steps to catch up.

"Did you decide what you'll name your swords yet?"

"Uh . . ."

"You don't have to tell me," he says.

"But you told me yours."

"Sharing names like that . . . it's a part of your identity. You can't give that out to just anyone. So you tell me when you're ready, if you're ever ready. It's a sacred thing."

We go up the steps to the house, but a piece of me is rooted to the spot where he confessed something so special. Trust is the highest compliment a person can give, especially coming from a boy like Zuko. He's come so far from the angry hothead who wouldn't let me near his uncle. But I've come a far way, too. We all have.

Inside, all of the lights are dimmed. Our friends have dispersed to their rooms, but a note on the table tells us about the arrangements. Toph and Sokka will share one room since he's poor and crippled and needs her caretaking (I roll my eyes; caretaking . . . or something like that). Aang is alone in another. It's up to me and Zuko to decide what happens with the last empty room.

We swap glances. "I could take the last room," he offers.

Then it's up to me.

"I could stay with . . ."

The final word hovers on the tip of my tongue, caught just beyond my throat but not exactly out in the open yet. He's looking at me with an unreadable expression, and a part of me isn't sure if that would be breaking some unspoken code.

". . . Aang."

Well, that's that.

He wishes me goodnight and reminds me about training in the morning. I watch him go. Zuko pauses at the doorway to his bedroom, almost as if about to turn around, but then he doesn't. He steps inside and out of sight.

And I am left alone in the living room to push a piece of loose hair out of my eyes.

It's a fifty-fifty shot as to which room is Aang's and which belongs to my brother and Toph, but of course I get it wrong the first time. I walk in on a moment of peace. They're lying there together on one of the two mats, not touching but still warm under a shared blanket. The earthbender is smiling like she's having some sweet and beautiful dream, or maybe one about punching people. You never know with her. Sokka's just grinning, and whether he's dreaming about meat or his boomerang or the girl beside him—because despite being a tough fighter, she is a girl after all—is its own mystery. Because they're asleep, I kneel by my brother and check his back to see his spine is doing. The swelling's gone down a little, so the oil Toph's been using seems to be working. Maybe he'll have his legs back sooner than I thought.

"Stay tough," I whisper to all three of us.

I leave them sleeping together and instead walk to the next room over. I hesitate halfway through the doorway, anxious for a reason I can't quite place. When I go in, Aang is lying on his back under the blanket. His eyes are open. He's gazing up at the ceiling but sits up when he hears me coming. What could I expect from Aang but a shy smile?

"Hi," he says.

"Hey. It's so late. Why are you still up, huh?" I tease.

"I was waiting for you to get back so I'd know you're safe. I heard you guys out in the living room. I was hoping you'd come in to say goodnight."

I'd also be a liar to say my heart doesn't melt a little at his words. "I'm, uh . . . if it's okay, I'd like to stay with you tonight."

He bobs his head. "I'd love that."

I lie down on the second mat. Blankets, like the dark, are good for hiding secrets. Mine hides the unbidden blush on my cheeks.

"Hey," I whisper.

He rolls over so we're facing each other. "Hey."

"I don't know if I thanked you properly. You know, for saving me last night. So, uh . . . thanks. Yeah."

Well. If there's a prize for being an awkward turtle duck when it comes to thank-yous, I think I just scored first place. Good to know I've got talent in something.

Aang's talent is diffusing awkward situations. His hand moves across the space between our mats. He lays his fingers on mine. "I'll be there for you no matter what. You know that."

Now we're both smiling.

"How did the forging go?" he asks.

"Pretty good. Zuko and I have matching dual dao swords."

He shifts slightly under his blanket. "You guys have been spending a lot of time together. It's good you're really making him feel like part of the team."

"Yeah. I guess so."

"You know . . . I'd be nice for us to spend some time together, too."

I prop myself up on an elbow but say nothing, but entirely sure where this is leading. Though already, a dark suspicion is nipping at my hammering heart.

"Katara." He sits up, nervously linking and unlinking his hands. "Iroh was saying something today about how Zuko's going to have dinner with that girl we saw this morning in the tea shop. That got me thinking. And, uh, I was wondering . . . wouldyouhavedinnerwithme?"

My stomach is about to fall out through the bottom of my feet. "W-what?"

"Sorry, too fast." He takes a calming breath, though I doubt a thousand calming breaths would be enough. "Katara, would you have dinner with me? Maybe the day after tomorrow since that's when Zuko will be out."

I fiddle with a hair loopy. "We have dinner together all the time."

He's looking at the wall, floor, ceiling—anywhere but at my eyes. That's how nervous he is. "You know what I mean," he says quickly, and finally he looks right at my face. "A dinner for you and me. Just us."

Of course I know what he means. His begging eyes are asking for something I don't know how to give him.

"Aang, I . . ."

But a small part of me still remembers how I felt about him back in the cave where two lovers once met. It is this part that makes me hesitate. It wonders if maybe I didn't give him enough of a chance. If maybe what I think I see in Zuko isn't necessarily there and I just haven't know him long enough to understand otherwise. Aang's holding in a breath, waiting for me to decide his fate with a single word.

"I . . . yeah, sure," I say at last. "Sounds like fun."

His face lights up like I've given him the greatest gift there is. He squeezes my hand, wishes me goodnight, and rolls onto his back to sleep at last. Oh, Katara, I tell myself as he grins at some secret thought. What have you gone and done?

My own sleep is dreamless, and I'm woken in the morning by a hand shaking my shoulder. "Ugh. 'Five more minutes'won't work on you, right?" I murmur.

Zuko's mouth is smiling. "Get up."

I rub the sleepies out of my eyes on the way to the living room. "Are we going outside?"

"No. This space is big enough. We'll practice until the others are up."

He picks up two pieces of wood from the low table, meaning he woke up way too early as usual to get ready. For a moment I think he's about to throw them both to me so I can practice in dual dao fashion, but he tosses me just one. I barely have time to grab the stick before it hits me on the head. "Why not both?" I ask.

"You can't even block with one yet. What makes you think you've got enough coordination to master two at once? Learn to control yourself first. Then you can worry about controlling more swords."

I'm already rolling my eyes at the lesson when I see he's smiling. He beckons playfully with one hand. An invitation. My lunge is an acceptance, but as always he easily deflects the blow. We spin around in a flurry of swinging sticks and smacking wood. I can't tell if he's letting me almost hit him on purpose or if I'm started to understand how to play this game of swords.

I've already collected a new assortment of bruises when I hear my brother yell.

"Sokka!" I shout. Zuko and I bolt for his bedroom. I keep my stick. My friend draws his swords. We come in running, weapons raised, looking around for someone to fight—

"Katara, guess what," my brother calls. He and Toph are down together on their shared mat.

I'm beside them in an instant. "What happened, what?"

"I almost moved my toe this morning! I've got some feeling back in it and everything. I think I'm getting my legs back." He's grinning like he just beat the Fire Lord, but I guess his is a huge victory in itself.

"Are you kidding?" Zuko snaps, sheathing his weapons. "We thought you were in serious trouble."

Suddenly it occurs to me that I ran in here thinking I could take out real threat with a piece of wood. Genius. I lay my makeshift sword on the ground and push it away with my toe. I push it twice. "Uh . . . well. I'm glad you guys are safe."

Sokka glances between us. "Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

"Yeah, Snoozles. They were about to make out and now you ruined the moment," Toph says. I'm about to protest when I realize she's dead serious and barely even surprised. In fact, the only person she grins at is my brother. "See?" she tells him. "You'll have to pay up when I win our bet."

My hands go to my hips. "Bet?"

Toph beams. "We know. You'll find out."

"If this is about me and Zuko, you should know I'm going on a date with Aang tomorrow night."

The moment I say that, I shut my mouth. I want to catch the words and trap them back down in my throat, but they're out in the open now. Rumor has it that a good way to know how someone really feels about you is to focus on their eyes in the first five seconds of a gaze. What you see there is real. I look at Zuko and see an expression I've seen only once before. It was during one of those moments in life you can never get over no matter how hard you try. It was the moment when he was in the warm pool water and I tried to freeze him into the creek.

Like before, Zuko's eyes are fastened on mine.

Like before, there's nothing within them but an ocean of hurt.

"Oh," he says. Oh, and that is all. He looks away for a moment, and when he looks back the hurt is gone. Inside is nothing but hard resolve. Bitter, cold acceptance. "I guess we'll both be out to dinner."

"I guess we will," I say.

He turns to go. "I hope you enjoy your evening."

"You, too."

Zuko collects my stick off the ground and stalks back into the living room. Toph crosses her arms. My brother looks at her as if expecting something or handing over the spotlight. "Smooth move," she tells me.

"What? Am I not allowed to have a date if he does? I like Aang."

"Sure you do."

"Toph, listen—"

"And what date?" she asks, cutting me off.

Oh. Right. She hasn't heard the whole Jin story yet. "Zuko's uncle set him up with the girl we met yesterday in the tea shop."

She rolls her eyes. "Really? Really, Sugar Queen? Fine. If you're that thick, you can go have a nice day out with Twinkletoes. You can throw sugar and 'sweetie' lines at each other until we all get diabetes."

"There's nothing wrong with liking Aang," I growl. I turn around in a huff and stalk out.

"Yeah, if only you did," she calls after me.

Zuko is nowhere to be found in the living room. I check the kitchen, but it's just Aang in there. He's feeding Momo some bits of leftover pastry. "Good morning," he says as soon as he spots me. "I thought I heard yelling. That's what woke me up."

"I'm going out for the day," I grumble. "I'll meet you guys at the tea shop for lunch before our trip to the palace."

"Can I come with you, please?"

"I'll be fine."

He tugs at his orange shawl. "But last time—"

I hug him. "I'll stay in the upper ring where it's safe. I promise."

"Well . . . at least take Momo." He transfers the lemur to my shoulder. "I'll feel better if someone's looking out for you."

His smile reminds me why I agreed to our dinner date. Momo and I go down the steps to the house. For a moment I'm half-expected Joo Dee to spring out from behind a shrub, but she's probably busy with other things. Maybe even with looking for Jet and his Freedom Fighters. She sure seemed worried about them at the monorail station.

"What do you think we should do?" I ask my companion. Momo nips on my hair loopy in response. "And what's that supposed to mean, huh?"

But as the lemur has decided to be exceptionally unhelpful, I just find a tree to enjoy some cooling shade. I sit between two gnarled roots and lean back against the trunk. Leaves whisper way above me. Clouds and the sun roll across the sky. I pull out my two swords and carefully turn the shining blades over in my hands. Names, that's what they need. I've got a sword for my left hand and one for my right, a sword close to my heart and one for power strikes with my dominant hand. I toy with the idea of calling them Tui and La because of my water tribe heritage, but something about that feels too contrived. Zuko's names were so much more personal. I think back to how we created these swords together and of the circumstances now driving us apart. He'll be on a date with Jin, I'll be on a date with Aang, but was that ocean of hurt in his eyes a hint I'm supposed to pick up on? If he feels for me what I feel for him, could we make something of these embers that have burned through our icy facades?

The leaves rustle again. A whisper seems to come to me across a very great distance. It carries two words and breathes them into my heart. I look down at the swords in my lap and know their true names.

"Guess it wasn't a totally wasted morning," I tell Momo. He's snoozing on my shoulder. I gently give him a scratch behind the ears and lay him down on the grass. Sheathing the swords, I break off a branch from the tree and spend the rest of the morning practicing different strike angles. The tree trunk is my opponent. Each smack of wood makes me feel like I'm really getting this. Like pretty soon I'll be as good as Zuko.

Well. Maybe just almost as good.

Toward early afternoon, I'm starving. Momo and I head for the tea shop. I need to catch up with Iroh and get details on tonight's plan. By the time I get there, though, the rest of the team is already having lunch. Aang and Sokka wave when I come in. Between wolfing down huge chunks of meat, Toph bobs her head to acknowledge my presence. Zuko doesn't even turn around. He focuses on eating single grains of rice at a time with his chopsticks.

"Ah, finally! We are all gathered," Iroh says. "Let's go to the back to discuss tonight's party—after you have something to eat," he adds quickly, noting my crestfallen expression.

Zuko stands the minute I set down. He disappears into the back. Toph wheels Sokka's stone throne, as she's taken to calling it, into the back as well. Only Aang and I are left at the table. He watches me while I eat.

"You don't know what's wrong with Zuko, do you?" he asks.

"What am I, his keeper?"

"No, just . . . he's been keeping to himself all day. That's normal for the Zuko we knew before he joined the team, not for our friend."

"If he's back in depression mode, that's not our problem."

He leans back. "Katara. That's not like you to say. Did something happen between you guys?"

"We're fine." I push my plate away. "Let's go talk to Iroh."

Before he can argue, I head for the back of the shop. I wish I, at least, knew what was happening between us. Instead we're just two hotheads angry at I don't even know what. Deep breaths, I tell myself. Let's just get through tonight and we'll deal with tomorrow when we get there.

My friends are all crowded and waiting in the tea-smelling back room. Iroh is handing out simple brown and green server uniforms. He stuffs one into my arms, too. "You will be wearing these to avoid suspicion. Your task is simple: deliver the tea and pour cups for guests. Aang"—he gestures to the airbender who followed behind me—"you will sneak away to find the Earth King once we are inside."

Even though we're all holding uniforms, Iroh still has one extra draped over his shoulder. I grin. "Is that for Momo?"

"I think it's for me."

A stick smacked right in the chest wouldn't have knocked out my breath more efficiently. I turn and see Jin beaming in the doorway. "There you are," Iroh says, waving her inside. "Come on in."

"What's she doing here?" I ask before I can stop myself.

"I was looking for work. This man generously offered me a job as a server," she explains, taking her uniform. "I hear we'll be catering a party tonight."

"Uncle." Zuko pins Iroh under a glare. "I think we need to talk."

"Of course we do—after tonight's event. There is so much to cook and gallons of tea to brew and so little time left. Jin, Katara—would you young ladies come help me?"

"I'd love to," she says. "Is there a place where I can change?"

Iroh ushers everyone out but Jin and I. "You two can change here. We men will use a different room."

"And what am I?" Toph asks, though you can hear the pride in her voice at the old man's jest. She'd rather be called a man than a girly-girl any day.

"You and your friend Sokka will be taking care of business back here while the rest of us go to the palace."

My brother bangs his fists on the wheelchair arms. "What?! Are you serious? You can't leave me out of all the fun stuff."

"In your condition—"

"I don't have a condition. I can't believe this." Sokka throws up his arms. "It's totally unfair!"

"Uncle knows what he's doing," Zuko says in defense. "Come on. Let's just get changed."

Jin and I glance at one another. She tries to make small talk, but after two curt replies on my part we lapse into silence. We stand in separate corners with our backs facing each other. The longer we're there together, the more I feel like a socially awkward turtle duck. I end up going extra slowly so she's done first and can leave. Then I stand there staring at the wall, my eyes boring a hole right through it, and reason with myself. Whoever I'm acting like, it's definitely not the strong Katara I've learned to be after years of pressure and pain. So Jin is going to help us. So, what? Who cares who Zuko likes or doesn't like? We're in the middle of a war, anyway. There are way more important things to focus on, like the Earth King. Like the eclipse and the Fire Nation. I shake my head to clear it of the complete stupidity that is worrying about Zuko and Jin.

The rest of the afternoon plays out in a relative lull. We help Iroh serve customers. I don't let myself get bothered by the glances Jin sneaks at Zuko. Or the glances, two or three of them, he returns with uncertainty. In the early evening, three royal ostrich horse carriages pull up in front of the tea shop. Guards help us load the carriages with tea and platters of food. I climb into one of the carriages after Zuko, Jin, and Aang. Iroh and Toph wave us off. I look back at the tea shop doorway where my brother sits dejectedly in his wheelchair. He's ripping at my heartstrings with his sad eyes. But if he's getting feeling back in his legs, it shouldn't last much longer. Tomorrow I'll try to scour the city for more powerful oils.

For now, it's time to focus on the Earth King and make our long journey to this city worthwhile.

We don't speak much because of the guard riding in the carriage with us. Iroh doesn't trust the government officials around here and warned us to stay quiet. I know the journey is at an end when the carriages roll to a smooth halt. More guards escort us inside a vast hall in the palace where servers from other fine shops around the city are also setting up platters. Some of the early guests have started to arrive, so we each take either a tray of pastries or a teapot to fulfill our server roles.

"I'm starting to think the Earth King won't be that easy to find," I whisper to Aang after about half an hour.

He pours a cup of tea for a guest wearing a tall hat that goes up in the air and keeps going. "Not really. We just have to look for the person who looks really royal."

A cluster of women wearing glittering robes and jewelry worth more than my whole village walks past me. "That's pretty much everyone."

As the room starts to fill up with more people, Aang glances around. "I think we lost Zuko and Jin," he says.

I almost drop the teapot I'm holding. "What?!"

"Oh. Never mind. They're over there, see?"

I follow Aang's hand gesture. There they are indeed a short distance off, offering platters of pastries to a couple. Jin says something I can't make out above the din of the crowd, but the man and woman laugh. Zuko smiles and glances not unkindly at his companion.

I wind through a congregation of women to join them. "Don't go wandering off. We're supposed to stick together," I remind them.

"You weren't having luck finding the Earth King over there, were you?" Zuko snaps.

Jin playfully bumps the firebender with her shoulder. "Come on, Lee. Don't be mean to your friend."

"Who?" I ask instinctively before remembering who this Lee guy is supposed to be.

We're saved from potentially unpleasant fallout by a gasp from behind us. "What are you doing here?" calls our lovely babysitter's voice. Joo Dee rushes over. She tries to grab the teapot out of my hands. "You have to leave immediately or we'll all be in terrible trouble."

"No one's going anywhere until we see the Earth King," Zuko tells her.

"You don't understand," Joo Dee starts to say, but Jin cuts her off with a hand wave.

"Guys, listen," Jin says. "I know it's not really any of my business, but can someone explain why this is such a big deal? If it's going to be a problem—"

I can't believe Iroh thought bringing a stranger into this mess was a good idea. Sometimes I wonder if he's still the same man we met before we were separated at the library. "We'll explain later—"

"You must go," Joo Dee insists, ignoring all of us. She makes a grab for my teapot again, but I step backwards out of reach. Unfortunately, I step right into cold hands that grip my shoulders.

"Pardon," a voice says behind me. I spin around to see a man dressed as a government official standing behind us . . . along with a trio of Dai Li agents. His eyes cut to Joo Dee, who bows quickly, and then back to us. "I am Long Feng, Grand Secretary of Ba Sing Se and head of the Dai Li. It is a great honor to meet the Avatar and his friends in the palace halls." His tone seems to imply we've got no business here.

"It's an honor to meet you, sir," Aang says. "We're just here to speak with the Earth King. Could you show us the way?"

His eyes flicker. "Come with me."

Aang and I exchange eager looks. Okay, maybe it's a bit unsettling that everyone around here automatically knows Aang's the Avatar. But it's getting us to the Earth King, right? I'm distracted by the sound of a tray clattering to the ground. Jin's face is glowing. "We're going to meet the actual Earth King?" she breathes.

Long Feng bows to her. "My apologies, but perhaps you should stay here and fulfill the service you were hired to complete. You two as well," he adds, nodding first at me and then at Zuko.

The firebender steps forward. "We're coming with the Avatar."

Long Feng smiles as the Dai Li agents behind him take equally menacing forward steps. "No harm will come to your friend if that's what you fear, I assure you. Ba Sing Se knows how to take care of its guests. I will return him safely back here in half an hour."

Zuko looks hard at Aang. The airbender looks down at the floor, but already we all know what has to happen. Probably this Grand Secretary guy just doesn't want to overwhelm the Earth King with so many visitors at once. Plus, the rest of us are just kids. The Avatar is the only one with any real value in royal eyes.

"Okay, I'll go alone," Aang says. He smiles. "Don't worry. I'll see you guys in a bit."

The Grand Secretary leads Aang away, but the three Dai Li agents don't follow. They watch us take fresh trays and teapots. Apparently we won't be allowed to sneak off after Aang as I'd originally hoped.

"So he's the Avatar," Jin says. "Would you look at that? Pretty impressive."

There's definitely something up. Why would Iroh send this stranger along with us instead of Toph or Sokka, both of whom are perfectly capable of helping? I don't know how much we can trust her with. Certainly Iroh can't possibly think we need a new addition to the team.

"Hopefully he'll be back soon," I say. "Meantime, let's just make sure we keep these guys satisfied with our service." I wave a hand at the Dai Li agents.

Zuko's face says I don't like this, but his silence lets me know he'll play along with this game for now. We continue to pour tea and distribute pastries. Jin keeps asking us harmless questions: how we got here, where we're going, how we like the city. Zuko and I take turns deflecting the impromptu interview with vague answers that don't tell her more than she needs to know.

"So, uh . . . where do you live?" I ask, trying to turn the tides.

"In the lower ring," she admits, confirming what I suspected. For her to get to the upper ring tea shop, someone must have invited her here.

"Do you live with your parents?"

Her hands tighten on a tray. She looks down. "It's just me and Tayla, my younger sister. I look out for both of us."

Zuko looks at her with a softened gaze. "I'm sorry."

She shrugs. "Hey, no problem. We've been on our own for a while. We're tough girls. We get along just fine when I've got a good job. I actually owe your uncle big time," she tells him. "He talked to the boss of his tea shop and negotiated a great pay for me."

"How did you guys meet?" I ask.

"It was on a monorail car," she explains. "See, we were—"

"There's Aang!" Zuko says suddenly, distracting all of us. It takes a single look to know something is terribly wrong. The airbender's face is the color of death.

He takes small, slow steps towards us. His words say I think they've got Appa but his moist eyes tell me it's worse, so much worse, than just that. We collect our trays and teapots as the guests clear for the evening. It's a nervous ride back to the tea shop since another guard is watching us, mostly silent and only broken by my small whispers of it's okay, you're safe, we'll figure this out. I say these words but don't believe them because he's shaking, he's shaking against my shoulder, and his eyes are distant and glazed.

Iroh looks up the moment we cross the threshold. There are no customers tonight, so no curious eyes follow us as we move across the vast flood of empty space between the door and the counter. Without questioning, without hesitation, Iroh gestures to the back of the shop. We go inside where Toph and Sokka are waiting. They stop a card game when Aang stumbles into the room and slides down the wall to sit on the floor with a small plop.

He doesn't care that Jin is listening.

He doesn't care that he keeps forgetting Zuko is supposed to be called Lee while we're in the city.

He simply speaks.

We learn that the Grand Secretary is grander than we expected because apparently he's running the show and the Earth King is just a puppet whose duties are tied to issues of cultural heritage. That so far as the people of the city know—and at this, Jin gasps—there is no escalating war beyond Ba Sing Se. This is a place of peace, an orderly utopia. The last one of its kind in the whole world. Within the walls of the city, the people are safe. Within the walls of the city, the people are free—prisoners only to the lies of the Dai Li.

We sit for a few moments in silence. Then, unbidden, we rise to go.

Jin parts with us at the entrance to the tea shop to go home; she whispers something about needing to take care of Tayla. The rest of us minus Iroh stumble homeward, weighed down by news I can barely believe. I follow Aang into his room and lie down to sleep on my mat. We roll so we're facing away from one another because what is there to say? A while passes before I drift off to rest, but when I open my eyes again I'm no longer in Ba Sing Se.

I'm back in the warm beach house from my dream.

The room is still dusty, still bare of furniture. The long-haired man I don't know is brushing my hair with his red comb. It seems regally carved, probably expensive. He pauses when he sees I'm watching. His golden eyes rest on mine. They are so much like Zuko's. Everything about this man is like Zuko, only for want of a scar. For a moment I think he might even be the young firebender as an adult, but his face is more angular than that of the boy I know. And this man's beard looks like a tail hanging off his chin. If this were older Zuko, surely I'd have frozen it off by now.

Suddenly the man sets down the comb and leans forward. He wraps me in his arms and pulls me close so that I'm pressed against the warmth of his red and black robes sewn with gold. There's something wet on my cheeks that I recognize as tears, though I don't know how they got there. Nor do I understand why he's hugging me, but something about the gesture seems important.

I don't pull away and let us stay embraced together in that lonely and abandoned place.

A/N: (Edit: You guys are killing me. Does no one have theories on the final three paragraphs? *Snaps fingers* Daangit, I was hoping you guys would be intrigued.) Well, anyway, it's been a pretty interesting ride so far, but the companion story information on my profile page should be enough for you to realize we haven't even reached the most groundbreaking part of the story (and primarily the reason I started writing this fanfiction to begin with). *Holds up box of fireflakes* Have a treat for your feedback?