Fifteen-year-old Katara was running. She'd barely gone a few steps, however, when a wave of heat wizzed past the side of her head, nearly singing her hair in the process. The fireball hit the ground in front of her, promptly burning the dry grass to a crisp. From there, the flames quickly spread, aided, no doubt, by the person behind her. Her way forward was cut off.

"Give up, waterbender!" A deep voice shouted. She whirled around to face him, a tall young man around seventeen. His dark hair gleamed in the sunlight, and his golden eyes glinted dangerously as he surveyed her. "You have nowhere to run! Now, tell me where the Avatar is!"

She glared at the man. "Never!" She snarled fiercely. "You'd be better off killing me, Your Royal Highness." His title was uttered with dripping sarcasm. Her pursuer scowled.

"So be it," he replied, raising his fist to unleash another round of fire.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the heat pressing in on her from all sides before she realized something. Why isn't it burning me? She wondered. Unable to help herself, she cracked her eyes open. There was a swirl of flame and golden eyes before her world suddenly went black.

Her eyes snapped open suddenly. Her vision swam with the same sight she'd just seen- fiery reds and golds, and in the midst, a pair of golden eyes, one ringed by a painful-looking burn scar. Without thinking, she skittered back from the eyes, sending a beam of ice into the person the eyes belonged to from the pitcher on the bedside table, pinning him against the wall.

"Kat, what-?"

But she silently sent another bit of ice at the man, stopping his ability to speak. Her heart was racing as she surveyed her surroundings, trying to figure out what had happened.

She was not at home in the South Pole, nor was she in the Gaang's house in Ba Sing Se. On the contrary, she was ensconced in a comfortable bed, the hangings of which were very obviously Fire Nation. Vaguely, she noted that her head was pounding. Her eyes fell on the man pinned beneath her ice. He had used his breath to release his mouth from the ice, but had stayed silent, eyeing her warily.

"You!" She cried, pointing an accusing finger at him. "What am I doing here? Where's Aang and Sokka? And Toph?"

"Katara," he began, but she cut him off by waving her hand.

"No!" She cried, "Never mind!" She moved to stand, but in a flash he was pushing her back down in bed as she swayed, a hand to her temple. It occurred to her through the pain to wonder when exactly he'd gotten free of her ice flow.

"Easy," he said softly, attempting to calm her. She saw a flash of hurt in his eyes when she roughly pushed his hands away, shrinking back into a corner. Her temper flared at his reaction, but he continued before she could object. "You've been unconscious for several days."

His expression conveyed…concern? Unease? Katara couldn't bring herself to understand what was going on in his head; her own head was pounding. Then again, when was it ever a given to understand the minds of men, let alone firebenders?

"What's wrong, Katara?" He asked as her brow furrowed. She scowled.

"What's wrong, Prince Zuko, is that you've obviously taken me captive to the Fire Nation!" She burst out angrily, sitting bolt upright in bed again, ignoring her headache even as it spiked furiously. "You'd better let me go! Aang and Sokka won't let you off for this! Even if you manage to pull off your stupid trick, the Avatar won't be fooled!"

She expected him to go off on some rant about how Aang would surely come for her and then he'd catch the Avatar in his little Fire Nation clutches, but he just stared at her, worry coloring his face. Suddenly, it stuck her that he looked much older than seventeen as she remembered him.

"How…how long was I out again?" She asked quietly, starting to put the pieces together. Zuko did not meet her gaze.

"Four days," he admitted. "You were on your way to visit your family and there was an accident-"

"What?" She blurted. "Why would you let me visit my family? I'm a prisoner, right?"

He took a deep breath, as though trying to stave off panic. "What- what's the last thing you remember?" He asked finally. Katara's eyes narrowed.

"The Crystal Caverns," she replied. "We were talking, and then your evil witch of a sister came in. You…you betrayed me!" She said, voice rising laced with hurt and mistrust. "And…and Aang…" her eyes widened as she remembered Aang falling from the air, his Avatar state broken by Azula's blue lighting bolt. Tears streaked down her face. "Aang's dead. Isn't he." She wasn't really asking. There was no way he could be alive after being hit by that lightning. Especially not if she, the healer of the group, was here, a captive of the Fire Lord's son.

Her eyes refocused on the man in front of her, who was pacing agitatedly, pulling at his shoulder length hair, half of which was pulled up in a top knot. A pin of gold shaped like a flame stuck out of the top. Suddenly, with a roar, he swiveled, putting a flaming fist through the wall of the bedroom.

"Damn it!" He shouted, looking for the first time like the angry, short-tempered teenager she knew. She drew back, realizing she didn't have any more water for bending. She was defenseless. But Zuko, instead of pressing his advantage, veritably fled from the room. She stared after him, wondering at the odd behavior of her supposed captor, before the memory of the Caverns overcame her and she sank back to her pillow sobbing. It was not long before, exhausted, afraid, and head throbbing, she fell into a fitful sleep.

Zuko slammed the door behind him, leaning against it and pressing the heels of his palms hard into his eye sockets in anguish. He tried desperately to keep his emotions in check, but couldn't quite stop the wave of despair that washed over him. He fought for a moment before allowing himself to be swept away by his own memories- walks on the beach, their wedding, fun times with their friends, the birth of their children…Katara remembered none of these. Their shared past was, essentially, gone.

"Nephew," a voice spoke up from near his left elbow. Jumping slightly and quickly wiping at his face with his hands, he sniffed slightly as he looked up at his uncle. "What is it?"

Zuko was unsure if he could get the words out, opening and closing his mouth silently for a moment. His face must have given him away, because all at once he found himself enveloped in a hug. His uncle offered no empty placations, just held onto him, and this time, Zuko's tears streamed unchecked down his face.

"S-She doesn't remember," he muttered. "Uncle, she thinks I kidnapped her in the Crystal Caverns!" He burst out as he pulled away, sinking down to the ground and burying his face in his arms, knees drawn up to his chest. "She doesn't remember anything after the Caverns! She thought Aang was dead! And…" he let out a shuddering breath. "And you know how long it took me to gain her trust the first time?! Weeks, Uncle! Weeks!"

Iroh bent down, sitting crosslegged on the floor in front of his nephew. He regarded the younger man silently for a moment, then laid a hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"Zuko," he said calmly, "you must look for the silver lining. You've done it once. You can gain her trust again." Zuko peeked up at the old fire bender incredulously. "It may take time, but I have confidence in you. And in her better nature. Katara may not remember how you came to be together, but she's fiercely loyal and loves with her whole heart. I am sure that, in time, she will come around."

Iroh pulled Zuko to his feet, brushing down the younger man's robe. Zuko still looked defeated. The old general patted his nephew's shoulder, looking him in the eye sternly.

"Zuko. You must take some time to grieve. Katara will not be the person you remember, and it's ok to be upset by your loss. But then, let it go. Your children and your people still need you."

Zuko let out a breath, then with some effort, straightened. He felt exhausted, but he did his best to put on the image of a strong, confident Fire Lord.

"Thank you, Uncle," he said, his expression blank. "If you need me, I will be in my study."

Without another word, he turned on his heel, his robes sweeping behind him.

When Katara awoke again, it was to find a man sitting by her bedside. This man was older than Zuko, short and squat, with long grey hair. He had a friendly face, and as she looked at him, he smiled happily, reaching for a teapot and two teacups from the bedside table.

"Master Katara," he said brightly, handing her a teacup as she sat up gingerly. "Good to see you awake at last." She took the cup, but did not drink until the old man had taken a sip of his own tea. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're Zuko's uncle, right?" She asked, remembering meeting the old fire bender a couple of times in the course of her travels with Aang. If he was confused by what she said, he did not show it, but continued amiably as he set down the tea pot.

"That is correct, Master Katara. I am Iroh, uncle to Fire Lord Zuko." Katara, who had cautiously begun to sip her tea, choked. Spluttering and coughing, she wiped her streaming eyes.

"F-Fire Lord Zuko?" She repeated, looking stunned. The old man chuckled.

"Zuko told me you might be a little…behind the times, shall we say?" Iroh said. He bent down to retrieve something from next to his chair, handing it to her. Katara gasped as she gazed at it.

It was a painting. In the center was a woman, definitely older than fifteen with darker skin and brown curls, seated in a chair. Her clothing was in a style that was unmistakably Fire Nation, though in the traditional Water Tribe blue. Standing over her right shoulder stood Zuko, an arm firmly around her shoulders. They both looked…happy?

The most startling thing, though, (if anything could be more startling than a painting of herself with Zuko looking like they actually liked each other) was that the two of them were not alone. Standing in front of Zuko was a little girl, no more than six or seven years old. She was the spitting image of her father with black hair and pale skin. She sported a bright smile, which Katara found infectious. Zuko's other hand rested lightly on her shoulder. On Katara's other side stood two little boys, both with her curly brown hair. The older one had darker skin and blue eyes, but the younger had his father's golden eyes. The older one was looking a little shy, while the younger had the corners of his mouth turned up in a mischievous smirk. In her lap sat a baby boy, who had fuzzy black hair and huge blue eyes that stared out at her from the painting.

"Your children," Iroh interrupted her musings, gesturing to the younger occupants of the painting. "Your daughter, Crown Princess Izumi- she's eight now; and your sons: Prince Kyon, age seven- named for your mother, Kya; Prince Lu Ten, age four- named after my own late son, Zuko's cousin; and young Prince Mato is two." He pointed them out in turn.

Katara's head spun. She was married. To Zuko. The Fire Lord. She had four children with him.

"Benders?" She asked faintly, blurting out the first question almost at random. Iroh nodded.

"The elder three have shown signs of bending. The Crown Princess is a firebender, as is Lu Ten. Kyon is a water bender and has shown signs of innate healing abilities. And little Mato…well, he's only two years old. He can't be expected to show any bending prowess yet." Katara nodded vaguely, continuing to stare at the painting. Iroh put it back on the floor, handing her two other paintings.

"I assume you will want to know what happened to your friends?" Iroh said as he handed them over. Katara gasped, her eyes watering.

Thirteen-year-old Aang stood proudly in the center of their group in the Fire Lord's throne room, his Air Nomad formalwear displayed proudly. "Aang's alive?" She asked, hope shining in her eyes. "But…but Azula…" Iroh's expression darkened slightly at the mention of his niece.

"You were able to heal him, Katara. For some reason, your memories of the time between your teenage journey to Ba Sing Se and now have been lost since the accident. It's been nearly fifteen years since then." Katara reeled slightly. Fifteen years? Iroh continued. "Young Aang was healed, he eventually defeated Ozai, and my nephew became the next Fire Lord. Azula was imprisoned and eventually died."

His eyes were still dark, and Katara decided against asking anymore, turning back to the painting.

Next to Aang stood Zuko, who was shaking his hand and looking happier than Katara ever remembered seeing him. His Fire Lord's robes were pristine, the fire emblem in his hair shining in the light. Katara herself was standing happily behind Zuko's left shoulder next to Toph, who was smirking proudly. Sokka and Suki were standing behind Aang's other shoulder, celebrating the victory with a kiss.

"Zuko's coronation," Iroh explained shortly as Katara turned to the other painting.

The whole group was seated around a table, looking much older than in the previous painting. Zuko and Katara were holding hands, both looking around at their friends. Sokka was sat next to Katara, Suki on his lap, as he ribbed Zuko about something, Katara was sure. Aang was next to them, his arm around a woman with dark hair in Air Bending colors.

"Avatar Aang married an acolyte he met in his travels," Iroh replied when Katara asked about the woman. "Her name is Amaya. They have three children, two of whom have turned out to be air benders so far." Katara nodded wearily, turning her attention to Toph in the picture, who was on Amaya's other side next to Zuko. Though she'd grown up, she was still slight and unassuming in build. Her feet were propped lazily on the table. Katara shook her head in amusement. Classic Toph.

Toph did not seem to have anyone there with her. Then again, Toph had always enjoyed looking out for only herself. Katara didn't really see the metalbender as the nurturing, sentimental, or maternal type.

Katara sat back, putting her head in her hands. This was a lot to take in. She and her friends were all grown up. Somehow, they'd made friends with Zuko? She stared at the last painting again. Evidently, she'd done a lot more than just make friends with the grumpy firebender. She shuddered. How could this happen?

"You wouldn't happen to know…how Zuko came to be part of our group, would you?" She asked hesitantly. Iroh's eyes twinkled as he smiled at her.

"I'm afraid that is a question for my nephew," he said, getting to his feet. Katara pouted a bit. She'd hoped to get more information out of the old man and be able to avoid the new Fire Lord altogether. "You may keep these," he said, placing the paintings on the bedside table next to the teapot. "I have a meeting I must attend. Excuse me, Master Katara." He bowed slightly to her as he turned toward the door. "Oh! Before I forget, the children asked to be able to visit," he added, looking back over his shoulder. Katara's eyes widened.

"I…" she began, trailing off as her anxiety overcame her. She wasn't sure she was ready to meet the children. It would make all of this craziness a little more real, and she wasn't sure she could handle that. Iroh turned around, smiling reassuringly.

"Master Katara," he said gently, "I understand your hesitation. However, the children have been worried for you. Prince Mato, in particular, is missing you terribly." Katara's eyes softened a bit as she imagined the baby, whimpering as another woman tried to put him to bed, not understanding why his mother was absent.

"All right," she said quietly. "I will see them." Iroh smiled.

"Excellent."

Katara frowned suddenly. "Do they know? That my memories are gone?"

Iroh mimicked her expression. "No. My nephew thought it best not to tell them. They are young yet, and I think he is of the opinion that they would not understand." He shifted slightly, and Katara wondered if Iroh agreed with Zuko's decision or not. "I will have supper sent in for you and the children in about an hour," he said, and it was then that Katara realized how hungry she was. "In the meantime…" he turned away again for a moment, poking his head out the door. When he returned, he was followed by a young woman. "This is Jia. She will assist you in getting washed and dressed. Jia," he continued, before Katara could protest that she could wash and dress by herself just fine, "Lady Katara will likely want her traditional water tribe clothing for now."

Katara nodded. That would definitely make her feel better than trying to look like the Fire Lord's wife. Jia dropped a curtsy to Iroh.

"Yes, sir," the young woman replied. Iroh waved to Katara in parting.

"I must go," he said. "I am glad to see you feeling better, Master Katara. Tell Jia what you would like for supper and she will bring it after you are ready." He bowed slightly again, to which Katara had the presence of mind to nod in return this time, then disappeared from the room.

Some time later, Katara had bathed and dressed in her familiar Water Tribe clothing, her hair done like she had at fifteen, with the loops on either side of her face and the rest left loose. She found that Jia, her maid, didn't try to make conversation with her, for which she was grateful. She assumed she would have known Jia before, if what Iroh said was true, but it seemed Jia had been apprised of the situation and was attempting to not make things more difficult for Katara.

Jia showed her to a low table surrounded with cushions, where Katara sat down, feeling nervous. Any time now, the children would be joining her for supper. Jia and some others had appeared some time earlier, setting a number of platters on the table. Katara recognized a dish of stewed sea prunes. She tried not to think about who had probably ordered them for her, as she had not requested anything specific from Jia when she'd asked.

"Mom-meeee!" A voice squealed as the door to her room banged open. Katara jumped, looking up as two little boys raced over to her. The first to reach her was Lu Ten, the four-year-old, who threw himself into her lap. Mato piled on on top of his brother, big blue eyes sparkling up at her happily. Katara smiled in spite of herself. The little boy was adorable, and it was clear that Katara was the favorite person in his life at the moment.

"Mom, look what I found!" Kyon piped up excitedly from behind his brothers, holding up a glass bowl holding a chameleon-fish that had, no doubt, come from a pond somewhere nearby. "I caught it with my bending." Katara eyed it warily, continuing to hold Mato and Lu Ten in her lap as she gazed at it.

"Master Kyon, may I hold your chameleon-fish while you eat?" Jia intervened quickly. The young prince handed over the bowl, careful not to spill the water on the rug, and took a cushion across the table from Katara. Izumi stepped forward into her brother's place, looking Katara over with concern in her golden eyes.

"Mom, are you alright?" She asked, moving to sit next to Kyon.

"Your mother is probably a little overwhelmed right now. She still isn't feeling well," a deep voice sounded from the doorway. Katara narrowed her eyes in recognition as Zuko's familiar face came into view, but said nothing, intending to observe. Zuko, for his part, only glanced over at her, then returned his attention to the children. "Mato, Lu Ten, find a seat." The boys climbed down at once, finding cushions of their own. "Izumi, you may light the candles." The little girl jumped up happily to do as she was told, clicking her fingers over the candles around the room, one by one.

"Daad! I wanted to do it!" Lu Ten protested loudly, looking upset. Zuko sighed.

"Lu Ten, you know you are only allowed to practice your bending outside in the practice area," he reminded the boy patiently. "It is still too dangerous for you to firebend indoors. You might start the Palace on fire." The boy was not placated, still pouting outrageously. Zuko walked forward, stopping at the young prince's side and bending down to look his son in the eye. "How about we go out and practice for a while after supper? Perhaps you can even stay up a bit late. But only if you're good for Mother. Okay?" He said quietly, so as not to let Kyon and Izumi hear. Katara assumed they'd probably be jealous. Lu Ten's golden eyes, the exact same as his father's and sister's, lit up in excitement and a big grin spread across his face.

"Yes!" He said, bouncing in his seat. Zuko smiled a little and ruffled his son's hair, then stood.

"I have some things to take care of," he made his excuses to Katara. "I will come collect the children in about an hour, or you may send them back to their rooms with Lian if you wish." He gestured to a woman who had followed the children into the room standing near the door. Katara only nodded, not sure how she should reply. Zuko studied her for a moment, looking as though he had more he'd like to say, but abruptly turned and disappeared out the door instead.

Katara looked around at the children, who were all watching her expectantly.

"Um…you can eat," Katara said, gesturing to the children. Mato was already digging in to the plate Jia had dished up for him, and Lu Ten happily picked up a spoon, too. Kyon and Izumi did not move to eat, however, and Izumi shook her head firmly.

"Grandpa Iroh says it's important to thank the Spirits," she said. Katara was baffled momentarily, but then nodded.

"Alright," she said. "Will you…?"

Izumi nodded, raising her hands as the others in the room bowed their heads. Katara followed suit. "Thank you, Spirits, for bringing Mother back to us; for our lives, and food, and our family. And for Avatar Aang, who brought peace to the world. Amen."

Katara started at this. Technically, Aang was the spirit bridge, but it was odd to hear someone essentially pray for him that way. It was even moreso when Katara reminded herself that this someone was her own daughter. Katara shrugged this off, eating her sea prunes in silence as she watched the children.

Izumi and Kyon, for all their stark differences, seemed to be best friends. They laughed and talked about silly things they saw in the gardens that day, or the fun things they did with their tutors. Izumi, it seemed, was writing a story, handwritten in calligraphy, about a dragon and a polar-bear dog that became friends. She was trying to decide how they would stop fighting and figure out how to play nicely together. Kyon, for his part, seemed to be a gentle soul that loved watching the turtle-ducks and catfish in the pond. He spent his free time scouring the gardens for creatures that he seemed to be trying to keep corralled in the courtyards so he could visit them the next day.

Katara turned away from the older children's conversation to watch Lu Ten on her right, who was playing with his noodles as he ate them, making Mato laugh from her other side as he let the noodles dangle out both sides of his mouth. Katara smiled. The young firebender looked quite a bit like a walrus-penguin like that.

"Master Lu Ten," Lian chastised gently, raising an eyebrow. "Eat your dinner." The boy grinned, golden eyes sparkling mischievously, before slurping the noodles noisily into his mouth, causing Mato to shriek with laughter. Lu Ten giggled too, and Katara was slightly shocked when Lu Ten proceeded to drape his noodles out the sides of his mouth again.

Lian and Jia exchanged a fond, exasperated look. "Master Lu Ten," Lian reminded. "I will need to tell the Fire Lord about your behavior."

Katara, who had experience keeping track of the children in the Southern Water Tribe as a young teen, leaned over to the boy. "Lu Ten," she whispered, "You want to be able to practice tonight, right?" The boy grinned and nodded. "Then eat your noodles. And mind your manners." Lu Ten dug into his food with gusto, and within just a few moments his plate was clean.

"Master Lu Ten, are you ready to go back to the nursery?" Lian asked as the boy leapt to his feet.

"No," he shrugged, making his way around the table to play with Mato some more. Katara was watching the baby eating his dinner methodically. The blue-eyed boy was currently eating his sticky rice, and it looked like it was mostly going into his mouth one grain at a time. Mato instantly turned to his brother, who had begun trying to play peek-a-boo with him. The baby laughed happily, distracted from his food.

"Master Lu Ten," Lian said sternly. "Leave your brother alone." She smiled, and Katara saw an idea cross her mind. "Go get your ships and we can have a battle while we wait for supper to end."

Lu Ten eagerly ran from the room, Lian at his heels, and returned moments later with ships from several different nations. They spread the boats out on the rug a ways away from the table, and Katara watched as the two of them talked battle tactics and strategy. Lu Ten, for a four-year-old, had an astounding knowledge of tactics. Katara smiled. Evidently, Sokka had been teaching him in his spare time. Or maybe the boy was just brilliant, Katara wasn't sure.

By this time, the older children had also finished their dinner and had dismissed themselves to join in Lu Ten's war games. Katara noticed that the noise level in the room had risen significantly since that point, and she was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. She turned her attention to the baby, who was trying, loudly, to get her attention.

"Mom!" He exclaimed for the fourth time. Katara finally turned toward him, running a hand through his soft hair.

"What?"

"All done," Mato insisted, holding out his plate, which was still full of food. It seemed that Mato only had a few foods that he liked. Katara sighed.

"You're not going to eat your food?" She asked. Mato shook his head stubbornly.

"Done," he repeated, attempting to hand Katara his plate again. She frowned.

"You didn't eat very much," she reminded, but took the plate as the little boy hopped up from his cushion to join the older children. Katara decided that this would not be a day for insisting on things. Her head was pounding again, and she really could use some time to herself.

"Lady Katara," Jia spoke up from next to her. Katara looked around at her. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Katara nodded, though even to her, her voice sounded dazed. Jia studied her a moment.

"I will tell Lian to take the children back to their rooms," she said.

Katara felt a rush of gratitude to the young woman. She didn't want to send her children away; she knew what it was like to feel abandoned by her parents. However, she didn't know if she could handle much more tonight. There were still many things she needed to sort out in her mind, and the children definitely complicated things. The water bender nodded, and Lian and Jia began ushering the children to say their good-nights.

They all rushed to Katara, bidding her goodnight, then racing away. All except Mato, who clung to her tightly.

"Mom!" He cried, beginning to wail when Jia tried to pull the baby off of Katara, who was staring at the child in bewilderment. She took a deep breath as she realized that, if the children were used to having her heavily involved in their daily lives, Mato probably didn't understand why she'd been absent for the past week or so.

"Mato, it's time for bed," she said firmly, hugging the little boy tight, then setting him down on the floor.

"No!" He cried, pulling his hand away as Jia tried to guide him out. Katara knew he was just seconds from throwing himself on the floor and beginning an all-out tantrum.

It was then that Izumi reappeared, taking her brother's hand. "Come on, Mato," she said brightly. "Daddy will tell us a story before bed, and he said you could pick! Do you want the one with the turtle-ducks?"

Katara watched as Mato brightened immediately and followed his sister out of the room, caught between amusement at Mato's sudden change of mind and curiosity at Zuko's fatherly behavior. She shoved it from her mind, unwilling to consider the man as anything other than the angry fire bender she was familiar with. All at once, the room was quiet, and Jia was assuring her that she'd be back shortly.

Katara, upon having her room to herself again, requested a bucket of water be brought to her quarters. Several minutes later, she was bending the water into different shapes, trying to calm her racing mind. A star; a turtle-duck; a ship; a sphere; Momo; Appa; a mountain; a badgermole. She cycled through shapes fluidly, faster and faster as her thoughts swirled.

The children were less difficult to figure out, she decided. They were all sweet and reasonably well-behaved, though she guessed that Lu Ten could be a bit of a spitfire. Katara had been caring for children since she'd been a child herself, so the basics were easy. However, she wasn't sure how she was supposed to teach them anything relating to being Fire Nation Royalty, seeing as how she only knew how to teach them things she'd learned in the frozen regions of the Southern Water Tribe, such as preparing seal jerky and building igloos.

Her water flowed around her in quick, swirling movements as she thought about this. What on earth was she supposed to be responsible for as the wife of the Fire Lord? Did she have projects she was heading up? Was she a representative to some sort of counsel? Or did she stay in the Palace and help with teaching the children? Was she teaching Kyon water bending? What else were they learning? Was she in charge of the palace, the servants, etc.?

And….how was she supposed to relate with Zuko? She assumed that she must have chosen him at some point, otherwise they wouldn't have had four children together. However, at the moment, all she saw when she looked at him was an enemy, no matter how hard she tried. She didn't know anything that had happened between them, and she was reluctant to ask him.

She'd thought they had something in common, that day in the Caverns, like they had connected somehow. She'd been willing to heal his scar with the special spirit water from the oasis. But then, when it came down to it, when Azula had showed her face again, he'd chosen to throw it back in Katara's face and stand against her and her friends rather than do what was right.

Suddenly feeling very claustrophobic, she hurried to the door, wrenching it open to find a guard standing there.

"Where's the bending arena?" She asked hurriedly.

"Your Ladyship, I don't think-"

"Either you can take me there, or I will find it on my own," she interrupted him, giving him a glare for good measure. The man sighed, then gestured down the hall.

"This way, Your Ladyship."

She followed the man down a maze of hallways until they came to a courtyard. The ground there was covered in cobblestone, and a number of raised troughs or pools with water were scattered around the space. She was startled to realize that she wasn't alone as she made her way closer, causing her to stop short. Zuko was there as well, his thin, muscular form highlighted as he practiced his bending in the traditional attire of trousers only. She'd forgotten that he was intending to practice with Lu Ten that evening, though evidently they'd finished already, because Lu Ten was nowhere to be found.

Zuko had evidently not noticed her approaching, because he continued to move through stances as though there had not been an interruption. For a moment, she contemplated throwing a wave over him or freezing him where he stood, just to see what he would do. However, from what she remembered, Zuko could be rather dangerous when he was angry, and she wasn't sure how things would turn out. She'd healed the gash on her head, but it might be better to rest for a day or two before challenging him.

She also didn't want him to stop and try to talk with her, to explain things. She wasn't sure she could stand that right now. So far, he hadn't given her any extra reasons to doubt him, but based on her memory, she wasn't certain that he'd tell her the truth in response to any questions she asked.

"Come," she said softly to the guard, who had stopped when she'd stopped following. Without a word, he walked her back through the halls back to her room, closing the door behind her.

After Zuko had finished his bending practice, he returned to his study, pacing the floor. He was exhausted from the stress of the past few days, yet it seemed he still had pent-up nervous energy to spare. Lian and Jia had reported that Katara had done mostly alright with the children during supper, though each of the young royals had been a little less well-behaved than he would have liked.

However, the fact of the matter remained that Katara had, so far, not come to speak with him. She was likely still afraid to face him, he decided, still angry and confused. He'd hoped her curiosity would get the better of her and drive her back to him to seek answers, but he was rapidly losing faith in that particular idea.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Enter," he answered formally, and the door opened to reveal a manservant carrying a platter on which was a small rolled scroll.

"An urgent message for you, My Lord," the man said, handing over the missive with a bow before backing out of the room.

Zuko unrolled the parchment quickly to find a short note, dated some two days previously.

Zuko,

Dad and I are making the journey north immediately. Suki and the children will be joining us, too. By the time you get this, we should be arriving in about a week.

Sokka

Zuko breathed a sigh of relief. Having a distraction in the form of his brother-in-law's family would be welcome with the strained feeling in the Palace since Katara had awoken. Right after the accident, he'd sent a message to the Southern Water Tribe via messenger hawk to inform Chief Hakoda of the incident.

Quickly turning the parchment over, he scribbled a few characters on the back letting Sokka know that his sister had woken, but it would still be an honor to host his in-laws and that Katara would be happy to see them. Wrenching the door open, he handed the message to a guard with the instructions that it be sent as swiftly as possible.

That done, the Fire Lord sank into a chair, putting his head in his hands. Truthfully, he was concerned and worried about the how's and why's of Katara's accident. He would never forget that day…

"…And you'll be sure to write every few days, right?" Zuko reminded as Katara whirled through her room, packing for her long journey. She was going home to visit for a couple months for the first time since Izumi was born, and she was excited. It had been some time since she'd just been able to be, "Katara Water-Tribe" rather than "Fire Lady Katara" or "Your Ladyship". To say she was looking forward to it was an understatement.

Katara rolled her eyes at Zuko good-naturedly. "Yes dear," she quipped, pecking him on the cheek as she finished loading her bags.

Zuko looked her over. He really didn't want her to leave, but he knew she needed this. She needed to spend time being the person she recognized as herself within her family's own culture for a change rather than trying to be the person she was expected to be by nearly every person in the Fire Nation. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

"Sorry," he apologized, feeling vulnerable. "I just…I have a bad feeling about this."

Katara rolled her eyes again. "Zuko, I'll be fine! I can look after myself, remember?" The fire bender sighed.

"I know. I remember." He pulled Katara into a hug, relishing in the feeling of holding her close and her head on his shoulder. "Be careful, alright?" He asked, pulling back to look her in the eye. She nodded.

"Of course," she said, kissing him lightly before extricating herself from his grip and picking up her bag. In a moment, she was gone. Zuko sighed again, taking himself back to the children's rooms. Perhaps spending some time with the babies would help him feel better.

Sometime later, Zuko was making his way back to his office. He'd played ships with Lu Ten and Mato for a while, but he knew he really needed to get back to work. There was a council meeting in an hour, and he'd better make sure he was prepared.

Just then, a guard came running, bowing himself face-first on the floor in front of Zuko. He was trembling.

"My Lord!" He cried. "Her Ladyship's vessel! It's-"

Zuko didn't wait to hear anymore. Turning on his heel, he sprinted down several hallways, robes swirling around his legs agitatedly. Reaching the front of the Palace, he leapt onto the guard's mongoose lizard, which was still milling about the courtyard, and urged it to a run.

Halfway to the harbor, Zuko came across the carriage Katara had surely taken to the docks that morning, pulled by a couple of ostrich-horses. It was moving swiftly back toward the palace, but the driver stopped when he caught sight of the Fire Lord.

"My Lord!" called the driver. "Her Ladyship needs immediate medical attention!"

Zuko swallowed, then nodded. "Go," he ordered, turning his steed back toward the Palace. He hurried along in front, shooing citizens out of the way so the carriage could make it through swiftly. When he reached the steps to the Palace, he called for a stretcher and ordered healers to make their way to Katara's room.

As a couple able-bodied men stepped forward with the stretcher, Zuko stepped into the carriage and gently picked up Katara, who was completely unconscious with a bleeding wound on her forehead, bringing her carefully down to where the attendants were waiting. He laid her down, turning flinty golden eyes on the driver as they hurried her away.

"What happened?" He demanded, gesturing to the man to follow him as he quickly set out after the stretcher. The driver shook his head, looking upset.

"Her Ladyship's vessel had barely gotten out of the harbor when there was a huge explosion, My Lord. The ship must have malfunctioned or something. It was likely her bending that saved her, though she must have been hit in the head with some of the debris to cause that wound. There…there were no other survivors."

Zuko cursed. "Anything else?"

"She was rescued by the nearest boat after the explosion, sir, a fisherman's boat," the driver replied. Zuko nodded, intending to reward the fisherman handsomely, and dismissed the carriage driver, thanking him for his assistance, then hurried away after Katara's prone form.

Zuko rubbed his face tiredly. That was definitely up there in the list of worst days of his life, and, considering his crappy childhood, that was saying something. He remembered having flashes of when his own boat had exploded with him aboard as a teen as the driver described the accident. His brow furrowed.

His own ship had been sabotaged by Admiral Zhao that time, if he recalled correctly. It wouldn't be difficult to believe that this incident had not been an accident at all, actually, now that he thought on it. There were plenty of displaced noblemen from his father's regime that were unhappy with him- he'd immediately fired them when he took the throne since they were too prideful and blood-thirsty to work with him establishing peace. There were also plenty of people that were livid that he'd married a Water-Tribe woman, which could have been another motive.

In all, he decided the matter was worth looking into. There had been few attempts to harm him and his family in recent years, but that didn't mean they were safe. On the contrary, it would be a perfect time to strike, now that they'd had several years to become more complacent, let their guard down a little.

I WILL find out who did this, Katara, he thought determinedly. I promise.

Author's Note: Mato means 'Bear' in Sioux