AN: Thanks for all your reviews! Wow, I can't believe you guys really liked the last chapter!

Fox May fiction press: Thank you for your review and hope you keep reading! No, I do not live in Germany; I live in the US. But one of my very best friend lives in Germany. She lives in a small village and says that's its in the south.

Concerning Onji-She will be here very soon! After they leave the temple (spoiler) and in about two, three more chapters, she'll be there with a few people. Guess who they are and you get a prize! I do not know what, but I'll figure it out!

DISCLAIMER:

No, I don't own "ATLA."

CHAPTER 26: GUILTY
ZUKO'S POV

I got away with not killing, in all my missions. Azula-to my surprise-did not report sighting of my "dead" assignments. Unless she was playing me, I was safe. My family was safe.

But the guilt ate me every day. My days were the same: train Aang, eat breakfast, spar with Katara and the others, eat lunch, practice my fighting skills and swords, teach The Duke, eat dinner, go to bed. All my obligations I filled, but in my free time, I collapsed into bed and buried my face in the pillow, trying to shut out the world.

At night, my dreams were filled with tossing and turning and nightmares. My old ones came back, and some new ones. The most common was Azula killing my friends as I was rooted to the ground, unable to help. My friends shouted cries of betrayal, and my head filled with accusations and tears.

The group seemed to notice my restlessness, but they couldn't pinpoint anything down. Katara assumed I was sick and tried many different types of healing methods, but to no avail. She often tried to get me to talk to her, but I couldn't with the raw lump of guilt in my throat. The rest of the Gaang had not an inkling of an idea; all the same, they tried to help. They tried to make me laugh or smile (one memorable time was Sokka balancing on Aang's air ball and singing "Secret Tunnel" with Aang playing an Air Nomad guitar). They tried to make me angry (Toph kept poking me with a stick). They tried to lift my spirits, but I felt as if I was stuck in a storm cloud with no way out.

"Honestly, if you were a girl, I'd say you're PMSing or something." Sokka remarked one day.

One night, when I didn't have any missions for Azula, I lay down on my bed and tried to sleep. The Gaang had already gone to bed. I sighed, rolling over, then startled.

"No night rounds tonight, Sparky?" Toph drawled from the doorway.

"What?" I asked, sitting up, the blankets landing with a thump on the floor. My heart raced. I tried to calm it down, but Toph jut glared at me. "I know something's up, Sparky."

"Just leave me alone." I muttered, throwing a pillow at her. Suddenly, I was knocked out of the bed with an earth pillar and landing flat on my back with Toph's cloudy green-gray eyes glowering down at me. She tugged me up, and tilted my head in my general direction. Toph began walking out the door.

"Come take a walk with me. Let's talk. No point getting out of this; I'll Earthbend your ankles so you'll be pulled like a stubborn cow-pig in the mud."

I sighed again, and followed her.

"So what is it with you lately? You're duller than usual, and that's saying something." Toph led me to the woods outside the Western Air Temple, Earthbending my ankles into the ground to keep me from running away. She sat down on a hollow log.

"I can't tell you." I muttered.

"Sparky, I'm keeping loads of secrets for the entire Gaang. I'm like a freaking physiatrist now. Whatever you have to delve out, I won't tell."

I considered this. Could Toph be trusted with my dirty little secret? Will she be shocked, angry, or threaten to kick me out of the group? How will she react?

I told her everything: Azula's threats, my guilt and shame, my missions.

"...So you see, Toph, I didn't kill anyone. I made them go into hiding. Azula doesn't suspect a thing. Please help me...I can't stand this anymore."

Toph was really shocked, her eyes growing wider and wider. Once or twice, she cleched her fists and my ankles were being tightly crushed by earth shackles. She sighed in relief when I told her I let the people go alive. When I finished, she looked straight at me. "You need to tell them."

"No! What if they kick me out? How will they react? They'll think me as a traitor, and it'll be worse than when I was the banished prince trying to capture the Avatar to bring them to Ozai!" I was frantic. I imagined the disappointment, betrayal, anger, shouting, and utmost horror. I finally had a family, but now what will become of it when I told them of my missions?

"Look. You have me to back you up. They'll believe me, with my truth sensing. And you did not kill anyone. They can't be too mad. Besides, Aang still needs to learn Firebending. He can't do it with you kicked out of the group. Once you tell them, we can relocate. They'll believe you-we know you, Zuko. We are your family."

"Thanks Toph." I said, a little more calmer. Of course. I did not kill, I did not call Azula here, I did not plot to bring the group down. With Toph by my side, I would not be found guilty. They might be mad, they might be horrified, but they wouldn't incriminate me.

"Let's go back." Toph said. I nodded and followed her back to the temple.

UNKNOWN POV

Oh, so he didn't kill them now? I grinned in the darkness and leapt off my tree branch. This was new indeed. Who knew Zuko could successfully fool me?

Get ready for a wake up call in the morning, Zuzu.

A single blue flame ignited a bush. It burned to the ground, dissolving into ashes.

KATARA'S POV

I walked down the hall, a basin of water in one hand. Something was truly wrong with Zuko. The most logical thing was that he was sick. But he didn't have a fever, cough, vomit, or was weak. He went on with his days, eating, training, teaching, and drinking as usual. But he was dull and listless. Something inside him seemed to die.

I walked into his room and nearly dropped the bowl.

Zuko was writhing on the bed, sheets tangled around his body. He was muttering in his sleep, fretfully tossing and turning. His blankets were smoking. Zuko's nightmares were back. They didn't trouble him since we had been dating, but rarely when they did come back, Zuko was uncontrolled in his sleep. He cried like a baby, screamed as if he was being tortured, and once almost set the bed on fire.

"No! No! Don't burn her face! Please no!" Zuko was shouting. I began to shake him, sitting the bowl of water on a stool. I tried to make him sit up. "Zuko, wake up!"

"No! Azula!...don't burn...no...Katara!" he wailed, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Tell her to stop Ozai! No, please not my family...no...!" I shook him, trying to wake him up. He was dreaming of the Fire Lord and Azula burning me and the Gaang. "ZUKO!"

He woke up with a start and saw me standing over me, with a frantic look in my eyes. His eyes seemed to wet with relief, and he suddenly crushed me to him. I was engulfed in his warm arms, with Zuko mumuring, "You're okay, you're fine, you're alive..." He kept touching my face, my hair, my arms, and my eyes as if he was checking to make sure I wasn't hurt.

Then he seemed to stop himself and asked me, "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to try to help you." I bended the water out of the bowl, covering his head. "Now, I don't do this often; it exhausts me, but if it helps..." The water glowed, and I felt Zuko relax. Concentrating, I began to calm his tense mind. Flashes hit me-Ozai burning his face, Azula laughing as she burned Ursa in one of his nightmares, images of me and the group screaming as we burned. I felt sweat beading on my forehead, but I didn't stop until Zuko was completely calm. I deposed the water back into the basin and collapsed on the bed.

"Stay with me." he whispered, stroking my cheek. "Please, I need you...make sure...you're okay."

"Zuko-"

"Please." his tone was so pleading that I complied. To my surprise, his strong arms encircled my body and pulled me close. Nuzzling my hair, he fell asleep almost immediately. I lay in his arms, wondering why his nightmares came back.

I ended up with my face buried in his chest, my arms on his shoulders, sleeping as Zuko caressed my back in his sleep.

AN: What will happen next? Btw (if it's not too much to ask), I would like some fanart for "Crossroads of Challenges" and/or "Acts of Kindness." All artwork is appreciated, and I'll post them all on my profile! Thanks! ~AnnaAza