A/N: In this episode of Story Time With Zuko, Zuko tells the story of how he traveled the Earth Kingdom alone. I feel like I'm dealing with heavy emotions in this story and so the mood maybe a little less upbeat. We've got one or two-ish more chapters or a chapter and an epilogue. Don't know yet. I hope everyone is doing well in these times. I just found out that my state will keep schools closed until the end of April. I seriously wonder what is the point but it's the times we're living in currently. We have to keep being optimistic. Continue to stay safe and don't forget to drop me a line if you like what you've read. Also if you want to keep up with my stories you can follow and favorite. Love you guys! Thanks for always being so awesome...

Disclaimer: Fanfiction is for emotions...

Chapter 11-Zuko Alone

Though the Avatar and his family remained in the Fire Nation a little longer for Tenzin's sake, Zuko's family and Aang's family began to slowly distance themselves from one another. Though it was an unspoken agreement, it was one that was necessary for the two families to begin to heal from the damage of poor choices and hurt feelings. The children of the Avatar no longer attended classes with Izumi during the day because Aang took it upon himself to teach his children. Storytime with Zuko now only consisted of Izumi and sometimes Toph at night while Aang and Katara told Kya and Bumi stories at night. The mood and feeling weren't the same for them and the children missed spending time with Zuko and Izumi dreadfully. Secretly so did Katara.

The children were having an afternoon lesson with Aang when Bumi had a question. "Dad?" Bumi asked tentatively. Aang looked up curiously and raised an eyebrow at his son. "Would it be OK if we had story time with Uncle Zuko, Izzi, and Auntie Toph tonight? We haven't seen them in days and we really miss them. We promise we'll go right to bed when it's done." He said sincerely his eyes widening in hopefulness. The children realized that they were being separated from Uncle Zuko because of something that happened on the day before the banquet and only hoped their father would be cooperative. Kya chirped with her girlish lisp, "Pleeeease Papa? Can we have storytime with Unka Zuko and Izzi? We promise to sleep tonight, please, pleeeeaaase?" With that Kya gave her father his signature puppy-cat eyes and poked out her lip the way her mother did when she wanted something her way. Aang melted. "We'll invite them to come for storytime tonight, but the Fire Lord is busy, and he may not be available, alright? We're not promising that they will come, but we will ask. Ok, you two?" Aang said sternly not wanting to give away the real reason he didn't want Zuko and Izumi doing something so familial as a bedtime story with his children. He had nothing against Toph or Izumi, but Aang still wasn't sure if he was ready to allow Zuko that space in his family again. They made strides with that moment of forgiveness but the level of intimacy Zuko held with his wife and children was too close for Aang's comfort and the more the children got used to being a family without Zuko and Izumi the better. It was for the best.

Aang put on a slight smile. "I'll ask the Fire Lord after lunch today if he's available, alright?" he said to the wide-eyed children who waited expectantly. Bumi looked at Kya and they gave a secret smile. They knew Uncle Zuko would come if they asked and looked forward to tonight's story. The day got extremely busy with council meetings and committee meetings in preparation for a summit in the Earth Kingdom. Lunch and Supper were harried affairs that didn't allow much time for Aang or Zuko to have a casual conversation. In the rush and focus on business, Aang forgot to ask Zuko about the storytime. The day drew into night quickly and Aang prepared to help put the children down for bed. Too late he remembered that he was supposed to ask Zuko about giving the children a bedtime story! He didn't know whether he should still go and ask or let down his children softly in telling them he forgot and got too busy with his day. He was preparing in his mind what he intended to say when he heard laughter coming from Bumi's bedroom. A familiar cackle and rumbling chuckle filtered through the walls. Zuko is here? Aang wondered. A twinge of annoyance and irritation crept up under his skin. He hadn't asked Zuko about doing storytime with the children. Why is he here if he wasn't invited?

Katara slid next to her husband and began massaging his shoulders. "You seem tense, Sweetie. Is everything alright?" Aang inhaled deeply through his nose. "I'm fine." He lied. Katara gave Aang a skeptical look then smiled. "I asked Zuko if he and Toph could come and do storytime with the children tonight. I saw how busy you both were today and knew that the children would have been so disappointed if he didn't show. I hope you're not angry with me. I did it for the children." Katara admitted. Aang released the breath he had been holding and sighed. "I'm glad you did. I completely forgot and didn't remember until just now. I was trying to figure out how I was going to break the news to them gently. Thank you, Honey." He said. Aang couldn't be upset about what Katara did. She helped him save face with their children. Maybe she really did want to make this marriage work. Aang gave Katara an unexpected peck on the lips and she smiled. Aang took Katara by the hand and they walked into Bumi's room. Zuko and the three children looked up smiling.

"Hi, Dad!" Bumi said cheerfully. "Thanks so much for asking Uncle Zuko to come! You're the best!" Toph made a face while Zuko looked at Katara curiously. Her look said, "Just go with it." Zuko nodded. "Yeah, I've missed this. I appreciate the invitation too... Ok, storytime!" Zuko said cheerfully. The children cheered as they settled down in Bumi's bed. Izumi and Kya put their arms around each other while Bumi slid between Toph and Zuko. Zuko checked to see if everyone was settled and began. "This story is one that I never told anyone, even Grandpa Iroh about. This is about the time I spent in the Earth Kingdom alone." The children's eyes grew wide and their mouths formed the shape of an "o." Zuko smirked and continued. "I was such a hothead back then. I was always angry and irritable and never had a good mood." Toph muttered under her breath. "Back then? What about now?" She said sarcastically. Zuko reached behind Bumi without looking over and gently pushed her head. Toph flopped on her side on the bed laughing hysterically. Zuko smirked. "I was much more of a hothead back then. Grandpa Iroh and I didn't have any money because we lost everything after the battle in the North Pole. I had no ship, no crew, no money. Just Grandpa Iroh and myself and the clothes on our backs.

He tried his best to help me see the futility of the war, but I was still reeling from being in a family that didn't want me. I didn't know how to deal with it and accept the family that did want me. Grandpa was always so kind, just like he is now, and I hated it because I couldn't understand how he could beg on the roadside for money or food, and take whatever abuses people put on him when he was the most powerful firebender I knew. Why didn't he just take what he wanted?" Zuko asked. Bumi spoke up softly, "But then he wouldn't be Grandpa if he did." Zuko chuffed. "Absolutely, and I didn't understand that. Grandpa Iroh was always telling me how I never thought things through! I was really fighting the darkness in my own heart, but I took it out on Grandpa Iroh." He said sadly. Kya looked at Izumi and Izumi looked at Kya. In their unspoken twin language, they asked, "Daddy had a darkness inside?" Bumi true to form asked the question they all wanted to know. "How did you end up being on the side of the good guys if you were still so bad inside?" Zuko hummed. "Very good question, Bumi. It took a lot of mistakes made on my part and seeing the world as it was rather than what had been taught to me. I had years of false information about my country pushed down my throat. Up until my banishment, I had never been outside of the palace! Grandpa Iroh tried to tell me this, but I wouldn't or couldn't listen. I made the decision to part ways with Grandpa because I felt like he didn't have anything else to teach me."

The children gasped and stared at their uncle and father. "You abandoned Grandpa Iroh?" Izumi asked the shock in her voice apparent. Zuko grimaced. He nodded and continued. "It was one of my biggest regrets later. I was cocky and stubborn. I learned the hard way that you have good people and bad people in every nation. It's not about your parentage or where you were born. It's about your choices. It's about who you are and who you choose to be." He said. Aang and Katara looked at one another both remembering the change they saw in their dear friend. They reminisced on their own choices and mistakes they made during the war. Aang smiled at Zuko who looked up just in time to see it and continued. "There were people who treated me very well in the Earth Kingdom until they found out I was Fire Nation. It hurt when I realized my country had done nothing to make people appreciate its "greatness." He said using air quotes. "There was a time in my journey people were willing to support a bully that was hurting them over a firebender who was trying to protect them. That's what this war did to people. It destroyed relationships and hardened people from seeing beyond their hurt, but it also exposed what needed to change in my own life. I wanted to see things get better. I didn't want the war anymore. That was the beginning of my change of heart. It's going to continue to take years to repair the damage done by the Fire Nation." Zuko rubbed his face with his hands and sighed.

"My job is not easy nor is it popular right now but it is necessary. One important lesson I learned from the Earth Kingdom is never to give up. We have to keep trying and going no matter what." Zuko smiled. The children looked at Zuko with wide eyes and heavy hearts. The children sighed simultaneously. "This story is depressing!" Bumi declared. Zuko laughed and ruffled Bumi's hair. "It gets better, Squirt, I promise." Bumi looked up squinting with one eye at the unexpected affection. "So, how did you and Grandpa Iroh end up in Ba Sing Se together?" he asked. "Well, fate intervened as fate sometimes does," Zuko replied. The children raised eyebrows and hummed in curiosity. "It's true. My father declared Grandpa Iroh and myself traitors of the Fire Nation. Azula was then tasked with capturing your father and we were fugitives, so my priority really wasn't capturing the Avatar anymore (though secretly I still wanted to. I had no real way to do it so I just kind of let it go." Bumi cocked his head to the side. "Kind of?" Zuko chuckled. "Yeah? Like I said kind of."

His face grew serious and his look distant. "I spent over three years in exile. Three years away from what was familiar. Three birthdays on a ship with a crew of dishonored sailors and soldiers who didn't like me much. Three years of trying to prove I was worthy of the love that should have been freely given. In order to restore my honor and by virtue my father's love and respect, I had to capture the Avatar who at the time hadn't been seen for 100 years. My father never intended for me to return home." Aang whistled long and loud. "Wait, Zuko. Do you mean to tell me you couldn't go home unless you captured me? Not knowing if I was even alive or around? That's…that's terrible!" Zuko shrugged. Aang went on. "You never told me this before. It suddenly makes a lot of your actions during the war clearer. You just wanted to go home. You wanted your life to return to normal and you wanted to be loved by your family as any kid should, and you fought between your reality and desire. We do have a lot in common." Aang said. He looked up at Zuko who was still lost in his memories. The reality hit Aang like a lightning bolt. "Zuko, is that why you were so angry when Azula shot your uncle with fire? You pushed us away when we were only trying to help because the one person who loved you unconditionally was almost taken from you." Zuko looked to Aang and Katara. "Aang, Katara, it's not that I didn't want you to help my uncle, but I was in so much shock that my sister was willing to hurt Uncle that way. I felt like she knew she was taking the one person I loved and who loved me away from me. I was truly afraid I was going to be alone, again… I was despairing."

Katara's eyes softened with understanding. "It was hard to walk away from someone who needed me, but we understood. I'm just grateful that you didn't lose him." Zuko nodded and sighed. The three parents noticed that the room grew very quiet during the story. The sight was touching: three little cherubs rested comfortably on each other and Auntie Toph who was also sleeping peacefully rested her hand on Bumi's head. The twins had their arms wrapped around the other and slept facing each other. Zuko glanced over at Aang and Katara who beckoned for Zuko to follow them out into the receiving room. Aang turned to Zuko and smiled. "Izumi is welcome to stay tonight—especially since she's already asleep. The children needed this tonight. I think I did too." He said with a slight smirk. Zuko nodded slowly in more of a bow. "Thank you for inviting us. I think I also needed this. I'll take my leave, now. I'll inform Rumi of where Izumi is and have her collect the princess in the morning before school." He turned to walk out of the room quickly when Katara called to him suddenly. He stopped in place but didn't turn around. Katara spoke anyway. "Zuko, despite everything that has happened, you know you will always be family to us, right?" Zuko's lip turned up slightly though his eyes grew misty. He gave a short nod and walked out into the dark moonlit corridor.