Hey guys where have I been...drowning in school work. But here is the next chapter I hope you enjoy it. And thank you to all the reviews and the support and all of my readers.

"Suki!" Sokka yelled as he marched around the palace, "Su..." Slim fingers had come around muffling his call and pulled him back. When the grip loosened Sokka turned to attack, but it was the girl he had been looking for. "Suki!" He smiled.

"Sokka, what the hell do you think you're doing? The entire palace can hear you."

"I know and I'm sorry, but I had to find you."

"Why, what's the emergency?" Suki crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"When were you going to tell me about Zuko and Katara?"

Suki who had been glaring up at the young warrior broke her eye contact by looking in a different direction. "She told you I guess."

"Of course, she did, she's my sister."

"I was going to talk to you about it when we had some time to ourselves..."

"How could you have let this happen?"

Suki shot up an angry stare filled with confusion, "Me?!"

"Yes, you were supposed to be looking out for her and you're Zuko's guard."

"Look Sokka, I looked after Katara the best I could and I am there for her, but my duty is to protect Price Zuko first."

"Oh, so you're taking his side?"

"I am taking no one's side! Why don't you stop treating your sister like some pawn to use." Suki regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth, "Sokka I'm"–

"No, it's alright. I know you didn't mean it."

"I know you love your sister very much, you can't force this on her."

"I know, I just..." Sokka looked away then back into his girlfriend's eyes. This was not the person he needed to talk to. "Suki I wasn't looking for you to argue I need to talk to Zuko. Where is he?"

"Probably with Fire Lord Iroh," Suki slowly trailed her eyes to Sokka's tightening fist, "Sokka, what are you going to do?"

"Give him what he deserves."

#

"So you want me to help you?" Jet asked for the fish time.

"Yes," Azula sighed, "I swear if I knew you lack so little intelligence I wouldn't have come to you in the first place."

"That's not the point, out of all the Fire Nation scum the people I hate most are the royal family. I still want you dead."

"I would say the same about you, but you never really matter until now."

Jet clinched his fist and prepped himself with a fighting stance, "I could take you here and now."

"Ha! Well, you probably could. I have been in the nuthouse for some time. I'm a little out of practice, but that is beside the point. You and I have a common goal. Best to work together than separate."

"Why would I work with you?"

"Because, this is what I do. No matter what I always get what I want. My plans always work."

"Yeah, except for the key to the throne."

Azula frowned, "I told you, that woman will not be getting in my way anymore. This plan is sure to work, it's already working and with you on my side"–

"Let's be clear, I am not on your side. I am on the side of the people and what is best for Katara."

"Eh, whatever helps you sleep at night." The princess shrugged. "The point is we want the same thing, my brother can not marry her."

Jet didn't want to admit it, but they did agree on that, "So what's your big plan?"

"Well Mai already did her part even if she wanted to or not, but I need you to do yours."

"Mine?"

"Exactly, tell the little water tribe girl how you feel. I saw you both earlier so don't try to deny it."

"You were spying on us?"

"Sure if you want to call it that, but I just so happen to be walking around the corner. Any fool could tell from a mile away that you like her and she likes you. So all you need to do is tell her how you feel. Zuzu is already leaning toward Mai. Have Katara do the same for you."

#

"I wonder what type of tea our other guest would like. Maybe something wild and earthy."

"Uncle what are you talking about? You never told me who is here in the palace."

"Oh yes, well the leader of the Freedom Fighters is here, Jet. I believe you met him before."

Zuko thought back to a time when he was more lost than now. When regaining his honor was a one-way path through his father. "Yeah, I fought him once. I don't think we met after I changed sides."

"That's okay. I don't think it would matter anyway. From what I remember when he fought side by side with the white lotus he wasn't too fond of me of my firebending comrade. His hate is across the board, so I wouldn't take it personally."

Zuko laughed a little, it had been a while since he had. "So who else is here?"

"Oh, that would be," Iroh paused in the hall as his mind connected all the pieces. Sokka was here and Katara had rushed to see him. No doubt to tell her brother of her misfortunes. "Um, nephew maybe I should greet them first. I can have tea served while we talk and then you may join us."

"But, why?"

"Well, because our other guest may not be too happy to see you as well, especially since Katara went to great him first."

"Uncle, who is it"–

"Zuko!"

Before the prince could finish Sokka shouted his name down the hall. The water tribesman had spotted the prince and now was marching straight towards him.

"Sokka?" Zuko had a smile that faded quickly.

"Oh, this will not be good." Iroh lightly touched his nephew's arm as to caution him.

"Sokka. Sokka wait!" Suki was right on his heels. Her duty was to protect the Prince and she didn't want to fight her boyfriend in order to do so.

Sokka stopped his march once he was face to face with the man who hurt his sister. The rage was evident in his eyes and the reddening skin from the boiling blood. "How dare you! We all had an agreement for the good of the four nations, and you hurt my sister for your ex-girlfriend? You Fire Nation are so freak'n selfish! I want you to know you broke my sister's heart. You broke Katara's heart!"

""Sokka this isn't all his fault." Iroh pleaded.

"No Uncle, he's right. Sokka, please forgive me I am doing my best now to fix this."

"I'm not the one who needs to be asked for your forgiveness."

"I know, I"–

"Katara told me she had really started to like you. How could you throw her away like that?! She has sacrificed so much and so easily you, you cast her aside."

"I haven't cast her aside! I'm just, I'm just confused. Katara, this entire time has been stubborn and difficult, but at the same time, she has been trying. She came here hating the Fire Nation and I didn't blame her, but she gave me a chance and"–

"If she went through all of that and gave you a chance then how come some ex who left you made it so easy for you to forget that?"

Zuko looked at Sokka determined for the right answer, but couldn't find the nicest way to say it.

"Because, I love Mai."

Iroh closed his eyes and hung his head. Suki readied herself as she saw the muscles in her boyfriend's arms flex.

"Wait let me finish."

"Finish what?! There is nothing you could say that make it less worst than what it already is! We sat in that counsel room, you, me, Iroh, and my father. You asked us for my sister's hand. You proposed this symbol of peace and though my father and I knew Katara would hate it we sacrificed our family's relationship and Katara sacrificed her heart! If you knew you had unfinished business then you shouldn't have approached us that day."

"I didn't know."

"Well, you should have! What if Mai would have come to you on your wedding day? What then?!"

"I don't know? I would think my feelings towards your sister would be stronger."

"You bastard!" Sokka growled and landed a left hook against Zuko's cheek.

Iroh stretched out his arms to catch his nephew as he stumbled back. Suki reached for Sokka in case he was planning to attack the prince again.

"Sokka!" She warned.

"It's okay Suki, I deserved that."

"And more," Sokka added, "but I'm done here." He snatched himself free of her grip and turned away.

"Sokka," with one hand on the left side of his face Zuko took a step then another, "Tell me, what would you do? What would you do if you were me and Katara was Suki, but instead of Mai, Yue had returned?"