Chapter 28 - White Lies


Aang didn't know how late it was when he arrived back at the camp. Everyone was asleep and the fire had mostly died, leaving a small pile of cinders glowing in brilliant shades of oranges and reds. The moon, full and illuminating, was nearing the western horizon. He knew it wouldn't be more than an hour or two before sunrise, and laid back on Appa, trying to sleep.

Fifteen minutes later, and still wide awake, Aang decided that perhaps sleep would be impossible tonight. Big changes were coming, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't a little apprehensive about them. Katara was back, but how would their 'family' deal with an addition like Zuko? He was temperamental, violent, a firebender, and their former enemy.

In truth, though, Aang didn't have a problem with Zuko. He'd liked him well enough before the whole incident with Katara's kidnapping. He had often wondered if, a hundred years ago, they could have been friends. Aang was reluctant to admit it to himself, let alone anyone else, but Zuko himself wasn't where the problem was.

The problem was Katara and Zuko.

Aang would never admit it, even to himself, but he knew deep down that he liked Katara. And it wasn't the like in the way of 'I like you enough to travel with you,' or even the 'I like you as a sister' type of like. It was the like like, the 'I like you a lot, please bat your eyelashes at me and kiss me' type of like. He was only two years younger than her, after all. He'd thought about it, long and hard, and if he waited a year or two, he was bound to at least have a chance with her. And hadn't she just grabbed his hand in the woods yesterday?

But then there was Zuko. It was obvious that Zuko felt something for Katara. Aang was positive that he wasn't the only one who picked up on Zuko's behavior towards the waterbender. Yesterday, when Momo had wrapped himself around the exiled prince, Katara had laughed, and instead of yelling at her, Zuko had only grumbled, not yelled like Aang had expected.

And then there was everything Katara had done for Zuko. She'd protected him, insisted upon saving him, she'd drained her strength healing him, and she had gone off alone with him, on purpose. Not to mention that Zuko was only two years old than Katara, the same age difference between her and Aang. It was something for the young Avatar to be concerned about.

Turning onto his side, he surveyed the quiet camp. Katara was sleeping, her lips slightly parted and her chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. He knew something was off about how she looked, but he couldn't put his finger on it... what was it?

The necklace!

Of course! How had he missed it before? Hadn't Zuko taken that necklace of hers a while ago? And now there it was, wrapped around her slender neck as if it had never left. He almost couldn't believe that Zuko, the grumpy and spoiled prince who had always had some sort of contempt for the lowly waterbender, had given it back to her. Zuko had always treated Katara as inferior in their previous encounters, but it was obvious that something had changed between them. Especially if Zuko had given back her necklace.

Just what happened between them on that ship? Aang wondered as he watched her sleep.


"I must thank you, young Master Aang, for showing such charity towards an old man such as myself," Iroh said, bowing slightly to him. Aang found the show of respect to be slightly unnerving as he sat awkwardly beside the old firebender. "And also towards my nephew. I understand that you have not been on the best of terms since the two of you met." Iroh smiled warmly, and Aang found himself liking the man more than he would have expected.

"It's, uh, no problem," Aang replied, rubbing the back of his bald head. "I mean, you couldn't just walk the whole way, right?"

Iroh laughed. "I'm sure I walked longer distances in my younger years, but not anymore." He paused, his smile diminishing. He sighed. "Master Aang, I have a request of you."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"I would like you to keep Prince Zuko in your company."

Aang was silent, but his frown was an answer within itself.

"I see you are not pleased with the idea, but please let me explain the situation." Iroh took a deep breath, thinking before he spoke. "My nephew has not had an easy life, despite being royalty. Two years ago he was banished from the Fire Nation by his own father, just after he gave his own son that scar. He was ordered to capture the Avatar—you—before he could return to his home and regain his honor."

Aang nodded, urging Iroh to continue.

"However, the cumulative failures to capture you have caused my brother to lose all faith in his son. Fire Lord Ozai has ordered my niece, Princess Azula, to kill him. He has been permanently banished from his home, and he is about to lose his only remaining family, me. However, during her captivity onboard Prince Zuko's ship, I believe that Miss Katara has befriended my nephew. In fact, they've become rather close."

"Where are you going with this?" Aang asked, confused.

"It is my personal opinion that the best environment for my nephew is around your friend, Miss Katara. In return for keeping him in your company, I would like for him to teach you firebending, as I believe that you have yet to master it, correct?" Aang nodded, frowning.

"What do you mean, 'rather close'?" He asked. "They're just friends, right?"

Iroh's eyes widening. He hadn't realized that this boy was also in the running for Katara's affections. Judging the situation, he decided to tell a white lie. "Of course," he answered smoothly. The Avatar smiled, appeased, and they settled into a comfortable silence.

Iroh could only hope that this endeavor didn't end like Ba Sing Se.


Zuko awoke to a bright, clear sky, the shining sun, and something warm and furry in his sleeping bag.

"Aaugh!" He yelled, jumping out of the bag. Katara awoke with a start, looking around frantically to see what was wrong. Aang and Sokka were still sleeping, but as for Zuko... well, she could only laugh at what she saw.

"Uh, Zuko, what are you doing, exactly?" She asked, stifling giggles.

"There's something in there," he replied crossly, poking the lump in the bag with a stick.

"Something in the sleeping bag?" She repeated.

"Why are you laughing?" He growled, poking the lump again. He jumped when it moved. Katara, now failing at her attempts to mask laughter, got out of her sleeping bag, gently pushed Zuko out of the way, and reached in.

"Hey, you don't know what's in there!" He warned, panicking. She laughed, extracting Momo from the bag. Zuko dropped the stick and small jets of fire began in his hands. Scared, Momo wrapped himself around Katara's neck as she laughed.

"C'mon, I'll start breakfast," she said, still giggling. "Fish sound good?"

"Fine," Zuko sulked.

"Good. Now be a big boy and make up with Momo," she teased, holding out the squirming lemur. "Go ahead, kiss and make up."

He patted the lemur on the head, then swiftly placed a kiss on Katara's lips. She grinned. "You were supposed to kiss Momo," she reprimanded jokingly.

"Oh, I got confused. You're both little, noisy, and annoying," he told her with a playful smile.

"Yeah? Well, you're big, pouty, and violent," she replied.

"Yeah? Well, you still love me, don't you?" He grinned, and she blushed.

"I-I have to go get fish now. For breakfast," she stammered as she turned around and began towards the water.

"I'll join you," he said, checking one last time to make sure Aang and Sokka were asleep before wrapping an arm around her waist.


"Are you sure it's them?" Muttered one voice as they stared at her through the bushes.

"Yeah. Definitely," replied a second voice.

"We're not gonna let her get away this time, right?" Asked a third voice.

"Right," the second agreed. Then to himself he whispered, "I've been waiting for you, Katara..."