A/N HEY! Thank you to those of you who reviewed, favourited and followed :) it makes me really happy to see you're enjoying this! Here's the next chapter :) Enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own ATLA

Zuko's powers were almost fully under control. Draigor was learning very quickly that Zuko was talented, and didn't need that much tutoring to control his powers. Katara watched him often, finding comfort in the golden scales that were edged with red. Draigor watched Zuko look up every time she walked down to the training grounds. He would completely loose focus on the lesson until he could see her and her pot of snow sit down on the verge to watch.

Today was no different.

"Prince Zuko, you must pay attention." Draigor sighed, but Zuko wasn't listening. Draigor marched past him to Katara, sitting next to her on the verge.

"Would you like me to go, Draigor?" She asked quietly.

"No, my dear, it is not your fault. Your mate is just... easily distracted." Draigor sighed. "We must practice his new energy in combat, but he will not cooperate."

"I could use some practice." Katara said thoughtfully. "Perhaps we three could all train together. And it'll do him good training against me. I'm a water bender, all of my styles are different."

"If you are comfortable doing that, and if you wish." Draigor nodded, standing up.

"I'd like to." Katara reached a hand up and Draigor pulled her to her feet. Katara and Draigor walked down to the training ground to where Zuko was standing watching them.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked Draigor, frowning and walking over to Katara.

"I'm training with you." she told him simply, placing her pot of snow on the ground and taking off her over coat. Her blue fingerless gloves stayed on as she stretched, getting ready for the very fierce fight that was to come.

"No." Zuko looked at her like she'd gone crazy.

"What do you mean, no?"Katara snapped. "I can train if I want to."

"No, you can't. We're both fire bending masters. And I can't control my power, what if I hurt you?" Zuko asked.

"I can defend my self!" Katara scowled, but then smirked. "Or are you more afraid that I'll beat you?"

"No, I'm terrified I'll burn you until you can't heal!" Zuko yelled.

"I'll be fine, let's train."

"NO!"

"Yes."

"NO!" Zuko swept his arm at her and sent a stream of fire straight at her face. Katara ducked and sent water upwards, blocking all heat from her before sending ice at him.

"Use your breath, Zuko! A dragon's power is in his breath." Draigor commanded walking around the two who were fighting. "Katara, keep your limbs fluid. You'll never win a battle with locked joints."

Katara relaxed, drew a deep breath in and let out a stream of ice and water from her hand, straight at Zuko, who melted it and sent lava flying back at her.

"Katara, lava is liquid, remember that." Katara didn't listen to Draigor, but rolled out of the way and sent ice knives at his chest and legs.

The fight continued for a while, the two getting closer to each other until they were pressed against each other. Katara lashed out with her left hand, and her right leg, but Zuko caught her and tipped her backwards, onto her back. She grabbed him and pulled him down with her, laughing.

"See? I can look after my self." Katara smiled kindly at him, stroking his cheek. Draigor looked away on the private moment, but soon angered at the sight coming down the hill.

"My Prince, My Princess, you might need to deal with this." Draigor didn't turn round as he spoke. Zuko frowned, but stood up and helped Katara to her feet. They both walked over to stand next to Draigor, and Zuko growled as he watched Bornejoule march down to the training grounds, followed by Callia, Violetta, Ursa and Sokka.

"I told you, Bornejoule, even if she is there, she won't want to see you." Sokka yelled at him.

"Well I demand to see her, and this supposed 'lover'." Bornejoule snapped back at him. Zuko grinned.

"Hear that, Princess? I'm your lover." Zuko grinned, taking her hand. Katara rolled her eyes and looked to the gates as Bornejoule stormed in.

"You are lucky, human, that we were not training." Draigor sneered at him. "Otherwise you would be burned by now."

"Don't you dare talk to me like that! I'm a prince."

"So am I." Zuko sighed.

"And me." Sokka grumbled. "He keeps forgetting that."

"I am here," Bornejoule scowled at them all. "For Katara. We're leaving. Come here." Zuko looked like he was about to murder Bornejoule, but Katara just sighed.

"No, Bornejoule, I'm not going with you." Katara told him plainly.

"No?! What do you mean no?!"

"I think she means she's staying here." Zuko told him, rolling his eyes and pulling Katara closer.

"But she's mine. By my birth right!" Bornejoule cried in annoyance. Zuko growled loudly.

"Yours? Yours? You think you can own her? Even as my mate, I do not own her! No one owns another human being unless for punishment! Katara has done nothing to be punished for! How dare you!" Katara placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled gently. Zuko let a deep breath out, steam coming out of his nose like a dragon. The scales on his arms pushed themselves forward, and more scales on his back started showing.

Callia stepped forward. "Sir, you should step away." she warned, but Bornejoule just shoved her aside, grabbing for Katara. That was the last straw for Zuko, who pushed out of his human body and roared loudly. Draigor helped Callia up, also having changed through outrage that his niece was hurt.

"How dare you?" Draigor growled. "You dare touch my niece? And then go for Princess Katara?!" Draigor snarled loudly, towering over Bornejoule. Katara grimaced, but ran between them.

"Stop it! I will not allow you to hurt him! He was a fool for hurting Callia, and I will heal her if she needs it, but I refuse to let you hurt him!" Katara snapped at them both. Zuko growled like she was crazy and she scoffed. "Don't think that, I'm not stupid, or crazy, or being idiotic."

"You Are Allowing Him To Be Unharmed, Even After He Tried To Force You To Marry Him? You're Insane!" Zuko cried, his voice still more growls than words, but Katara understood every word.

"I'm a healer, I can't stand here and watch him be killed by two dragons!" she snapped, turning to Bornejoule who had gone white with fear. "You have to leave. I'm not marrying you, I'm staying here. Where I belong. Go now, before they sneak past me and rip you apart. Never come back here demanding, Bornejoule of the Western Water Tribe, or I will not stop the Dragon Prince." Katara lowered her head as Bornejoule scampered up to the palace, leaving them alone. Ursa was about to step forward, but Zuko let out a very loud and long roar directed at Katara, changing back to his human shape.

"Katara?! Are you completely oblivious and stupid?! He's going to probably kidnap you! He could start a war! He could do anything! He tried to make you marry him!" he yelled. Sokka stepped forward, a face like thunder.

"Don't talk to her like that!"

"Don't talk to me like that!" Zuko yelled at him.

"Zuko," Ursa hissed.

"No! You were an idiot! What if I hadn't stopped? Or seen that you were there? Or what if Draigor hadn't?! What if we'd kept walking? Or we'd shot fire at him and you were in the way? What if I hadn't stopped? What if it was you that needed healing and not Callia, which is bad enough?!" Zuko yelled. Katara looked at him with calm eyes.

"Have you enjoyed your temper tantrum?" she asked sweetly.

"Katara!" Zuko yelled loudly.

"That is my name well done." Katara told him.

"You're being stupid!"

"No, it's you who is being stupid!" Katara finally snapped. "I'm a healer, Zuko! Do you know what that means? I can't stand by and watch people be hurt! I had to do something! Besides, you would have felt me if I got hurt, and you wouldn't have done it. I quite clearly stepped in front of both of you. You are being ridiculous. I'm a little hurt that you think he could make me marry him, but if that's how lowly you think of me then so be it." Katara scowled at him.

"That's not what I meant," Zuko told her softly.

"It's obviously what you think though. Is it? Do you really think, after knowing me for so long, that I'm so easily swayed?"

"No, you're a very strong person, I was just worrying." Zuko took her hand and looked at her. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"It's OK, I understand that you were worried." Katara hugged him tightly before turning to Callia. "Are you hurt?"

"My wrist and arm... I think it's broken." Callia told her softly. Zuko frowned, it was wrong hearing Callia so down and broken. Katara helped her to sit down and crouched next to her, bending the water around her arm. In a few minutes, it was fixed. Callia shuffled closer to Draigor, who hugged her as best as he could in his dragon form.

"I was just trying to protect him, Uncle." Callia whispered.

"I know, my darling. Come, we will return home to your mother and your nest."

"When?" Zuko asked.

"Now. You have mastered all I can teach you, My Prince, all that is left to teach can be taught by your uncle." Draigor bowed to him. "Katara was right, Zuko. The Dragon Prince has returned."