A/N: kalisfandomstories: I appreciate your review, and I'm glad you're enjoying it. Initially, I was worried I'd regret posting the story, but I look forward to reading the reviews.

The reason there are few descriptive details is that I never intended to share this with anyone. I had written it some time ago just to throw ideas in my head on paper (or computer), and since the descriptive details were so similar to the show, I just worked mostly on the dialogue and minor imagery. Since I started been posting the story, most of my time has been spent proofreading for spelling/grammar errors, consolidating chapters, and trying to smooth really rough edges. Except for the end, which needs a major overhaul and maybe an epilogue with some closure, it's pretty much finished.

I really wish I had the time to give you all a really well-written, smooth-flowing, intricate story, but unfortunately all I have time to give readers is a rough draft with minor touch-ups. And this chapter is definitely lacking in imagery...apologies.

The next morning, Zuko opened his eyes just as the sun was beginning to light up the sky. He looked to his right and saw Chiara curled up with her back towards him. He wanted to roll on his side and put his arm around her and cuddle up next to her, but he knew she needed the sleep, so he carefully sat up trying not to wake her. Before his morning meditation, he decided to make tea for her. Quietly going through their supply bag he pulled out the ginseng tea wishing he had requested chamomile and mint on the supply list he gave to the Order, but he knew she enjoyed ginseng and he wanted to have it ready for her when she woke up.

"Are you going to meditate?" she asked him.

"Oh...I was going to make you tea first."

"Aww, you're so precious."

He smiled at her words.

"I'll get the water," she said as she slowly sat up.

"Why don't you sleep in for a while," he said. "I know you haven't been sleeping well."

"I don't want to sleep. I'm afraid I'll wake up in the wrong place," she said shuddering at the memories of her prison cell.

He sat next to her and put his arm around her. "When you wake up I'll be right here," he assured her.

"If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up from it. If I close my eyes, I might not come back."

"I promise this isn't a dream," he said softly as he held her.

"But that's what dream-you might say."

He softly chuckled. "Then what would real-me say?"

"I'm not sure," she said thoughtfully as her head rested against his shoulder. "Maybe tell me something you've never told me before."

He thought about it. "There's not much we haven't talked about."

"How did you get out of the prison?"

"They locked me in my room after they brought us back." He was reminded of Azula telling him how his father kept him in his room because he was weak and was not a threat. "Oh, I threatened to kill Azula," he added almost nonchalantly.

"What?!" she said sitting up and looking at him.

"I thought she killed you, and she kept insisting you were dead, so I tried to kill her."

"Wait, you said you 'threatened', and now you said 'tried'..."

"Yeah, it was both," he said like it was no big deal.

"Did she hurt you?"

"She tried, but I hurt her more."

"What happened that you didn't...you know?"

"Some guards came in and pulled me off her."

"Okay...I guess this isn't a dream...maybe. I don't think my mind would've made that up," she said feeling troubled by their fight. She stood up. "I'm going to get the water."

"Wait...," he said standing up. "I'll get it. I don't want you carrying the bucket."

"A bucket of water isn't that heavy."

"Do you know what's even less heavy?" he asked. "No bucket of water. You wait here."

He picked up the bucket and started walking down to the river. Chiara, determined to do something, pulled out the teapot, the tea, and some of their food supplies, and then she sat outside their shelter and started building a fire.

"So now I'm the waterbender and you're the firebender," he said when he returned with a full bucket.

She gently laughed as she was placing the teapot in front of him. "My great Water Spirit returns."

He smiled as he filled it. "And here's the offering for my Dragon Empress."

"Your offering is accepted," she said as she set it over the fire.

After drinking their tea and eating a small breakfast, they meditated by the river before heading towards the Western Air Temple.

Zuko, not wanting to leave Chiara at the camp while he was confronting the Avatar, took her with him part way. When they made it just inside the air temple, he walked her over to a stream of water and turned to her.

"I want you to wait here. I doubt they'll...you know...kill me...well, maybe the waterbender or her brother might..."

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" she asked feeling anxious for him.

"I'm sure."

He hugged and kissed her, and then he left.

"Aang, can we talk about you learning firebending now?" asked Katara from Appa's back as they followed Aang who was flying around.

"What?" said Aang. "The wind is too loud in my ears. Check out this loop."

"Aang, we've been here for days," said Sokka. "I think we should be making some plans about our future."

"Okay. We can do that while I show you the giant Pai Sho table," said Aang as they landed. "Oh, you're going to love the all day echo chamber."

"I think that'll have to wait," said Toph pointing behind them.

When they turned and looked they saw Zuko.

"Hello. Zuko here," he said.

They all stood defensively.

"Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there," he said. "So I just thought I'd wait for you here."

Suddenly, Appa growled at him and then licked him as he covered his head. Zuko straightened up, but then Appa licked his face, making him rub his eyes.

"I know you must be surprised to see me here..."

"Not really," said Sokka, "since you've followed us all over the world."

"Right," said Zuko. "Well...uhhh...anyway, what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, and I...uhhh, I'm good now. And, well, I think I should join your group...oh, and I can teach firebending...to you," he said as he looked at Aang.

They all looked stunned.

"See, I uh..."

"You want to what now?" asked Toph.

"You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you?" said Katara. "I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!"

"Yeah," said Sokka. "All you've ever done is hunt us down and try to capture Aang!"

"I've done some good things," said Zuko. "I mean, I could have stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something!"

Appa licked him again.

"Appa does seem to like him," said Toph.

"He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him," said Sokka. "I'm not buying it."

"I can understand why you wouldn't trust me," said Zuko. "And I know I've made some mistakes in the past..."

"Like when you attacked our village?" asked Sokka.

"Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?" said Katara.

"Look," said Zuko, "I admit I've done some awful things. I was wrong to try to capture you, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe."

"What about Chiara?" asked Katara. "Does she know how you betrayed us in Ba Sing Se?"

"Yes," he said softly and ashamedly, "she knows."

"And she's okay with that?"

"No, she's not," said Zuko. "But she knows I'm good now. She believes I can do this." He looked at Aang. "Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me."

Aang looked at the others, and Sokka shook his head at him.

"There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done," said Aang. "We'll never let you join us."

"You need to get out of here," said Katara. "Now."

"I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore!" said Zuko.

"Either you leave, or we attack," said Sokka.

"If you won't accept me as a friend, then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner," said Zuko falling to his knees. He bowed his head and raised his arms.

"No, we won't!" yelled Katara. She blasted him with water knocking him over. "Get out of here and don't come back! And if we ever see you again...well, we'd better not see you again!"

Zuko stood up and walked off feeling disappointed.

"Why would he try to fool us like that?" asked Katara.

"Obviously, he wants to lead us into some kind of trap," said Sokka.

"This is just like when we were in prison together in Ba Sing Se," said Katara. "He starts talking about his mother and Chiara and making it seem like he's an actual human being with feelings."

"He wants you to trust and feel sorry for him so you let your guard down; then he strikes," said Sokka.

"The thing is, it worked," said Katara. "I did feel sorry for him. I felt like he was really confused and hurt, but obviously, when the time came, he made his choice, and we paid the price. We can't trust him."

"I kind of have a confession to make," said Aang. "Remember when you two were sick and I got captured by Zhao?"

"And you made us suck on frozen frogs?" asked Sokka. "How could I forget? I had a wart on the flap that hangs down from the back of my throat for a month!"

"Sokka, I looked at it," said Katara. "And I told you, there was nothing there."

"I could feel it," insisted Sokka. "It's my throatal flap."

"Anyway," said Aang, "when Zhao had me chained up, it was Zuko who came in and got me out. He risked his life to save me."

"No way," said Katara. "I'm sure he only did it so he could capture you himself."

"Yeah," agreed Sokka. "Face it, Aang, you're nothing but a big prize to him."

"You're probably right," said Aang.

"And what was all that crazy stuff about setting Appa free?" said Katara. "What a liar."

"Actually," said Toph, "he wasn't lying."

"Oh, hooray," said Sokka sarcastically. "In a lifetime of evil, at least he didn't add animal cruelty to the list."

"I'm just saying that considering his messed-up family and how he was raised, he could've turned out a lot worse."

"You're right, Toph," started Katara sarcastically. "Let's go find him and give him a medal. The 'not as much of a jerk as you could have been' award!"

"All I know is that while he was talking to us, he was sincere. Maybe you're all just letting your hurt feelings keep you from thinking clearly.

"Easy for you to say," said Katara. "You weren't there when he had us attacked by pirates."

"Or when he burned down Kyoshi Island," said Sokka.

"Or when he tried to capture me at the Fire Temple," said Aang.

"Why would you even try to defend him?" asked Katara.

"Because, Katara," started Toph, "you're all ignoring one crucial fact: Aang needs a firebending teacher. We can't think of a single person in the world to do the job. Now one shows up on a silver platter, and you won't even think about it?"

"I'm not having Zuko as my teacher!" said Aang.

"You're darn right you're not, buddy," said Sokka.

"Well, I guess that settles that," said Katara.

"Ugh! I'm beginning to wonder who's really the blind one around here," said Toph.

Zuko ascended the steps and arrived at the spot where Chiara was waiting for him.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"They hate me."

"I take it Katara was upset," she said as she pulled the water from his clothes.

"You could say that," he said dryly. "I even offered myself as a prisoner, but they wouldn't do it."

"They'll come around," she said. "Just give them time."

"We don't have much time. He needs to learn firebending soon in order to defeat Ozai."

"I think this was meant to be," she said. "I'm sure it'll work out. Just relax today and let what you told them sink in, and then try again tomorrow."

They returned to camp and spent the rest of the day swimming and relaxing in the water, and at the end of the day he treated her wounds.

"How are they looking?" she asked him as he was putting the salve on her back.

He hesitated. He did not want to tell her how they covered most of her back, though he was sure she must have known from the pain. "They...look...better?"

"You're not a very good liar," she laughed softly.

"But I'm not lying. They do look better than they did when I first found you."

It broke his heart to look at them everyday knowing her entire back would be covered in scars, especially since he felt he should have been able to prevent it somehow. When he finished, he pulled her torn undershirt down over the wounds.

"We need to get you clothes," he said as he placed his tunic over her shoulders. "Not that you don't look fantastic in mine." He pulled her hair back over her shoulder and let all the curls cascade behind her. He moved in front of her as she was tying the tunic closed. "Your shirt is shredded in the back."

"I might be able to mend it."

"I think it's beyond mending. I'll get you a new one." He ran his hand down her arm to her hand. "I just don't want to leave this area yet until I can convince the Avatar that he can trust me."

Hearing the worry in his voice, she caressed his hand. "Thank you for taking care of my back," she said. "Now it's my turn to take care of you. Lie down."

"O...Okay."

When he was lying down, she began massaging his head with her healing and relaxing technique.

"This feels really good," he said. "Is-is this what you did on the ship?"

"Yes."

"So you were waterbending?"

"Yes."

"It really was useful having a waterbender on board," he said.

She laughed.

"I wish I could do it for you in return," he said.

"You relaxing is relaxing to me," she said.

Deeply moved by her words, he sat up.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He leaned close to her and kissed her. "I love you, Chiara."

The water she was balancing fell between them making them both look down.

"It looks like I made my waterbender lose her concentration," he said as he smirked at her.

She softly giggled. "It's not the first time you've done that."

She pulled it up from the ground.

"I'm not finished with you," she said.

He lay back down and she continued her massage.

That night as Zuko and Chiara lay asleep, there was a rustling in the woods. Zuko opened his eyes when he heard it.

"Who's there?" he called.

Chiara sat up when she heard him. "What is it?" she whispered.

"Stay back!" yelled Zuko as he sat up and threw a blast of fire.

"It's me!" said Toph as she threw up a wall of rock to block the fire.

She stepped back onto Zuko's fire blast and then fell to the ground. Zuko rubbed his eyes and looked.

"You burned my feet!" said Toph.

Zuko and Chiara immediately stood up.

"Stay here," he said to Chiara before going after Toph. "I'm sorry," he yelled. "It was a mistake!"

"Get away from me!" yelled Toph as she crawled away while throwing rocks at him.

He dodged the rocks.

"Let me help you!" said Zuko trying to avoid getting hit. "I'm sorry!"

He grabbed her shoulder.

"Get off me! Get off me!" she yelled as she turned around.

She raised the ground which knocked him back, and seeing him thrown backwards, Chiara ran to his side.

"Prince Zuko!"

"I didn't know it was you!" he yelled to Toph as he held his side. "Come back!"

Toph had crawled off into the woods.

"Ugh! Why am I so bad at being good?!" he yelled as he lay back on the ground.

"Where are you hurt?" asked Chiara.

"I'll be okay," he said.

"May I get her then?" she asked.

"I don't want her to hurt you."

"She won't. I met her before."

He sighed. "Okay, but be careful."

Chiara ran off into the woods where she stopped and listened for Toph, and then she ran in the direction of her crawling.

"Lady Beifong, wait, please," she said as she caught up to her.

Toph stopped crawling. "Chiara?"

"Yes. Please let me help you."

"I don't need your help," she said stubbornly.

"Your feet. I can help your feet. Please come back to our camp. Prince Zuko didn't mean it. We were asleep, and you startled us. He was just being defensive."

Toph hesitated, but then spoke, "Fine."

"May I carry you back?" she asked. "I can't see how bad the burns are, and I don't want you to have to crawl."

Her voice was so sweet and innocent, Toph almost could not resist, but her pride got the better of her.

"I'd rather crawl than be carried like I'm helpless."

"As a Beifong you've never traveled by palanquin before?" asked Chiara.

"That's...that's different," said Toph.

"Then do you really want to crawl on your hands and knees before the Prince of the Fire Nation?"

Toph hesitated. "Oh, you're really good." She sighed. "You make a persuasive argument."

Chiara smiled. She knelt down near her and took Toph's right hand in her own and gently wrapped it around her neck. After putting her left arm around Toph's back and right arm underneath her knees, she carefully picked her up. Chiara was amazed by how solid the young girl's body was reminding her of a rock, and though Toph was not too heavy, Chiara was still feeling weak from her torture and the weight was a bit strenuous, but she was determined to get her back to the camp safely.

"Is Iroh with you?" Toph asked her.

"No. We were imprisoned in the Fire Nation, and when Prince Zuko went to help him escape, he was gone. We don't know where he went."

Zuko had been anxiously waiting. He was worried about Chiara, hoping that Toph would not attack her, but he also was also hoping that Chiara could convince Toph to return. As soon as he saw them emerging from the woods he ran up to them.

"Chiara, you shouldn't be carrying her," he said, immediately worried about her condition. "Let me take her..."

"No," said Toph as she clung more tightly to Chiara. "Don't touch me."

"I'm sorry," Zuko said to her. "It was an accident."

"Chiara already said that."

Chiara carried her over to their campsite.

"Your hair is really soft," said Toph.

Chiara giggled. "Thank you." She carefully placed her down.

"You're right," said Toph. "I definitely didn't want to crawl back to the Prince of the Fire Nation."

Zuko was puzzled by her comment and briefly wondered what she meant.

"Are you okay, Chiara?" he softly asked her as he caressed her arm still concerned about her.

Toph found Zuko's concern for Chiara touching but puzzling.

"I'll be fine," she said as she knelt at Toph's feet.

"Yeah, I'm the one with the burned feet, Prince Shoot First, Ask Questions Later," said Toph sharply.

Zuko wanted to snap that he had asked questions first and apologized, but he held back.

"I'm going to take care of that," said Chiara as she opened a skin of water.

"And how heavy do you think I am?" Toph asked Zuko.

"Hold still, Lady Beifong," she said as she began healing the burns on her feet.

"That-that feels really good," said Toph. "How are you doing that?"

"I...have a special medicine," she said making Zuko laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Toph.

"Her special medicine is her waterbending healing ability," he said.

"You're a waterbender?" asked Toph surprised.

"Yes," said Chiara.

"But...I thought you were Iroh's daughter."

"I am. I'm his adopted daughter."

"He adopted a waterbender?"

Chiara laughed. "He did."

"Did he know it?"

"Yes. But no one else did."

"Aang and the others don't know either?" she asked.

"No," she answered.

"I didn't even know it until we were in Ba Sing Se," said Zuko.

"Right," said Toph. "Where you betrayed everyone."

Zuko felt ashamed. "I'm sorry. I was wrong to betray everyone."

Chiara tenderly caressed his back.

"So you grew up in the Fire Nation?" Toph asked Chiara.

"Yes."

"Wow."

Chiara finished with Toph's healing and carefully placed her feet flat on the ground.

"Can you see now?" she asked Toph.

Toph was stunned. "Good as new," she said.

Chiara traced a greeting on the ground. "I'm honored to meet you again."

Toph was impressed by her greeting, and she made the gesture in return.

"You must be incredibly in tune with the earth," said Chiara sounding awed. "You must see everything."

"How do you know that?" asked Toph.

"The General and I studied earthbenders. Their tactile senses are very powerful. I imagine your blindness strengthens your other senses."

"Yep, we're definitely going to get along great."

Zuko laughed to himself at Chiara's effect on Toph.

"You must be really powerful," said Chiara.

"Yeah. I have to say that I am," said Toph.

"May I get you anything?" she asked. "Are you hungry or thirsty?"

"No. I just wanted to talk to Zuko because I thought he was sincere. I think the others are letting their hurt feelings get in the way."

"That's understandable," said Chiara. "They've been hurt so many times; it's going to be hard for them to trust us."

"Not us," said Zuko. "Me."

"Wait...," said Toph. "They like Chiara. Why don't you let her talk to them..."

"No," interrupted Zuko. "I want them to trust me, but not because of Chiara. I feel like if they do it for her, they'll never really trust me."

"If that's the way you want to do it," said Toph, "but it'll be a lot easier if Chiara's there. Sokka calls you the beautiful mystery girl," she said to her.

Chiara wished she had not said that.

"I'm not sure we should help...," started Zuko.

"Prince Zuko, please," said Chiara.

"But he thinks you're beautiful," he argued.

"Wait 'til he finds out your Water Tribe just like hi...," started Toph.

"You're not helping, Lady Beifong," said Chiara.

"This was a bad idea," said Zuko.

"If the Avatar doesn't defeat the Fire Lord, we'll never be able to stop running."

She tenderly placed her hand under his chin, and then she gently moved the hair from his eyes. He melted at her touch.

"Aang needs a firebending teacher, and you're more than capable," she said.

"Fine," he conceded. "But I don't want that Water Tribe peas..." He hesitated as he looked in her eyes. He was surprised to see her remain impassive, but she was used to his derogatory names for the Water Tribe. "...uh...warrior...near you."

"Wow, you're really the jealous type," said Toph. "It's not like you two are married or anything."

Zuko and Chiara looked at each other, remaining silent, but Toph sensed it in their silence and the change in their heartbeats.

"You are?" she asked.

"In Ba Sing Se," he said softly. "Before I betrayed everyone."

"Oh, this is great," she laughed. "The Prince of the Fire Nation and a Water Tribe...peasant were you going to say?"

"Chiara's not a peasant. She's always been Fire Nation royalty," said Zuko with a hint of anger, more at himself for his near-slur. "But even if she was a peasant, it wouldn't matter," he added more calmly.

"Well, I don't think anybody saw that coming," said Toph unfazed. "Congratulations."

"You'll stay here with us tonight, Lady Beifong?" asked Chiara.

"Sure. Maybe I can think of some other things to tell you that'll get him in a twist."

Chiara stood up. "I'll set up a place for you..."

"Don't trouble yourself," said Toph. "I can make my own."

She stood up and stepped away from the campfire before earthbending her own shelter.

"That's really convenient," said Chiara.

Toph turned towards them.

"So what made you decide to join the good guys, Sparky?" Toph asked Zuko.

Zuko was caught off guard by her nickname for him, but then he thought about her question. "Uh...I...I finally realized the side I was on wasn't the good guys," he said softly.

She nodded and then went inside her earth shelter and drew up a door.

Zuko and Chiara went inside their own shelter where they lay on the mat.

"You look pale," he said softly to her, still worried about her. "I think it was too much for you to carry her and heal her."

"I'll be fine," she said. "I can feel the moon getting fuller."

Toph could overhear them even inside her shelter, and she wondered what was going on with Chiara.

"I'm sorry about calling you a peasant," he whispered.

"You didn't."

"But I imagine all those years you heard me call the Water Tribesmen peasants or savages...it must've hurt you."

"Not really."

"Not even when I called you a peasant?"

"I told you it didn't bother me. Honestly, the only time I was hurt was when you told me I wasn't part of the Fire Nation."

He remembered his words to her at the resort, and he felt guilty.

"I didn't really mean it," he said. "I was so anxious to go home, I couldn't understand why you weren't as excited."

"I understand that I'm not part of the Fire Nation, but it really is where my heart lies," she said as she caressed his face.

He kissed her.

"You are just as much Fire Nation as any of its citizens who were born there, and more so than most of the highest nobles," he said softly.

Toph smiled to herself.