Okay, I had to fix something. I messed up with the ranks and mixed Army with Navy by accident. She isn't a General, she's an ambassador, for those that don't want to reread the chapter in order to find out what I changed.

A Not So Simple Question

Brenda tilted her head to the side slightly and looked up at Zuko as he sat on the throne. After a moment she threw her head back and laughed.

"You're kidding!" She gasped out in between laughs. Zuko glared at his aunt who had to take a few minutes to compose herself. She smirked as she looked up at him.

"What's so funny, Admiral Brenda?" His aunt laughed again. "ENOUGH!" He roared, causing her to cease her laughter.

"You . . . you're serious?" Zuko nodded. "But . . . me? An Ambassador?" She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Why?" Zuko sighed and leaned back in his throne.

"I need people I can trust. People who aren't just yes men. Besides, you've more than earned it. You brought to me an army that would have fought with my father's had he not have been . . . . killed by Ceres. You risked your life for me. Not only that, but you have proven in countless battles that you are worthy of being an Ambassador. After all, we can't have a weakling in charge if a battle breaks out." Brenda bowed slightly with a smirk.

"I am honored that you would bestow the title of ambassador to me." She stood up and crossed her arms. "So, what is your order, my prince?" Zuko looked away slightly and stared at the ground. It was hard for him to say it. Saying it meant that it was real. Giving her this order . . . meant that it was real. "Prince Zuko?" Her voice jerked his attention up to her.

"Make sure Katara has a save journey back to the South Pole." Brenda looked up at him surprised.

"Are you sure you're going to let her go?" Today was the day that Katara was leaving to return to the South Pole. He could just put out the order to refuse to let any ship leave for the South Pole and keep her there with him.

". . . . I have to be eighteen before I become Lord Zuko . . ." She raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"Prince Zuko . . . what does that have to do with anything?" Zuko tightened his grip on the armrest of his throne. Zuko looked at the ground once more as thought consumed him.

"Truthfully . . . I want Katara to become the Fire Lady when I become the Fire Lord." Brenda's features softened at this. She understood. He wanted to ask her before she left.

"My prince . . . . . does Katara know of this desire?"

". . . . No."

". . . . I see." This complicated things. Apparently, Zuko didn't have the heart to ask her to forget about her people and stay with him. He couldn't make her choose. And it was killing him.

". . . . if my father were alive . . . . he would laugh at me and call me weak for being afraid. For not asking her." Brenda narrowed her eyes.

"Were you father alive, I would kill him." Zuko looked up at her surprised. "He lost most of his honor, Zuko. Do not think that his opinion matters."

"But he was my father." Zuko sighed and closed his eyes. "Leave me be, I want to be alone."

"Prince Zu-" Brenda took a step forward and reached out to him as she spoke but flinched when he cut her off.

"GO!" Brenda gave a soft sigh and nodded, bowing before she left.

"If you wish, my prince."

- - - - -

Katara sighed and put her necklace on. She had just finished cleaning up and had taken her necklace off to do it. She stuffed the last of her clothes into her travel bag and chewed on her lower lip. She would be leaving in a hour. Where was Zuko? True, he was ruling the nation, but still!

"You insolent, little bitch." Katara spun around when she heard Brenda mutter that. The newly promoted ambassador was leaning against the door frame. Katara narrowed her eyes.

"Excuse me?" She didn't have the time for this. True, the woman did seem nice, but you could never tell with her. Katara found Zuko's aunt to be . . . sadistic.

"You heard me!" Brenda snapped as she stood up straight. Brenda felt her temper flare at the sight of the waterbender acting innocent.

"What did I do?" Katara demanded, angry that she had to put up with this right before she left.

"You said that you wouldn't hurt him." Admiral Brenda hissed. "You said that you would stay by him for as long as he wanted you!" It was one of the few times Brenda had ever shown her true colors in her life. She loved her nephew dearly. So much so that she committed treason in order to get him back the throne. "But you were nothing more than a conniving, scheming little whore!" Katara felt her eyes widen in surprise then narrow in anger.

"How dare you!" Katara hissed.

"I love my nephew. I love him so much that sometimes I wish I would have died instead of Leila. There is little in life I can do for him." Brenda closed her eyes for a moment and then looked up at Katara with hatred. "But one thing I can do is to serve him. And his orders are that you return to the South Pole safely." Brenda turned to leave but paused long enough to throw one last comment over her shoulder. "He betrayed his father for you. He risked death for you. The least you could do is give him the peace he deserves." Katara watched with shock as Brenda left to get to the Phantom Flame. Katara stared at the woman in confusion. The waterbender looked over at her bag as she thought about the sadistic woman's words. She was right. Zuko deserved so much for what he did. What . . . . what did Brenda mean, 'give him the peace he deserves'? Katara continued to ponder this until a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Are you ready?" Katara looked back to see Zuko, standing at her doorway. No . . . it wasn't her doorway. This palace belonged to Zuko. It was his doorway. Katara stopped her useless thoughts before she drifted off into space. Smiling, Katara nodded.

"Yes. I'm all packed." Zuko's eyes flashed. Katara wasn't sure if she imagined it or not but she was sure that some unnamed emotion had floated through his eyes. But it was gone before she could confirm it.

"So . . . I guess this is goodbye." Katara frowned.

"You aren't going to see me off?" Zuko shook his head and sighed.

"No. I have matters to attend to." Katara nodded as Zuko stepped forward and hugged her. After a moment he kissed her on the forehead and pulled away from her. With a saddened smile he left.

- - - - -

"Why aren't you going to see her off?" Iroh asked the young man who sat up on the throne.

". . . . I have to deal with important Fire Nation business." It was a lame excuse. He knew it, Iroh knew it. Zuko just could bare to watch her leave. It was killing him. But he had to let her go. He knew the pain of being homesick. True, he could keep her there. But no, he didn't have the heart to watch her pine for the South Pole day after day and know that he was the one that kept her from her home. He had already let her go. He had chased her from her home with his quest for the Avatar. Zuko mentally shook his head clear of the past. What's done is done. He could not change it, no matter how much he wished to. ". . . . uncle . . ."

"Yes, Prince Zuko?"

". . . . I should have fought my father when I had a chance to. I should not have begged for forgiveness or mercy."

". . . . had you not, then you would have probably never met Katara." Zuko closed his eyes and nodded.

"It would have been better that way."

"Really?" Iroh was skeptical of that. "How so?"

"It wouldn't hurt, saying goodbye. Because I wouldn't have to."

- - - - -

Brenda frowned and walked away from the palace. Katara walked beside the Admiral. At the moment Sokka and Aang were already on board the ship and Prince Zuko . . . was locked up in the palace, going over the most trivial things in order to get out of watching the girl he loved leave.

". . . . Brenda?" Brenda snapped her attention back to Katara. The water tribe girl was several feet behind the female admiral as she had stopped walking a moment ago.

". . . . what?"

". . . . why isn't Zuko coming." Brenda raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon?" Katara looked to the side, trying not to fidget under the fierce woman's gaze.

"He told me he had matters to attend to . . . what are they?" Frowning once more, the firebender sighed and shook her head.

"Are you really that stupid?" Katara narrowed her eyes as she glared at Brenda.

". . . . I just want to know what the things he had to do were." Katara growled. Brenda closed her eyes and smirked.

"Well, it appears love makes everyone stupid." She muttered to herself.

"What's that suppose to mean!" The firebending admiral looked up at Katara and rested her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"I'll tell you." She looked over her shoulder at the Phantom Flame. "But not now. You might never go home. And your family wouldn't have that now, would they?'

- - - - -

Zuko stared out over the Fire Nation. He watched his aunt's ship sail away. Clenching his hands into fists, Zuko looked away. It hurt. It hurt so damn much that he could barely stand it.

"Prince Zuko . . . ." He turned to look at his uncle.

". . . . will it always hurt this much? Whenever I think of her?" Iroh nodded. Zuko looked back out the large window and grabbed the heavy red curtain, yanking it over the window. "Uncle . . . . I want to go back . . . go back to knowing nothing at all." Iroh looked at the ground, understanding that his nephew was hurting. Understanding that Zuko wanted to be with Katara . . . but his duties to the Fire Nation kept him from sailing off into the sunset with her. ". . . . she would have made a wonderful Fire Lady." Zuko smiled bitterly. "But it's too late for that." He looked back at his uncle.

"Is there anything you need, Prince Zuko?"

"No . . . there's nothing I need that you can give me, Uncle."

- - - - -

Katara looked over the railing at the water. Zuko . . . . had wanted her to stay. But . . . . he couldn't bring himself to ask her. That was why Brenda had been so cruel. Part of Katara wanted her to jump over the railing and swim back to Zuko. The other part . . . the reasonable part . . . demanded that she see her father and GranGran. She hated herself. She could have pressured Brenda into telling her before she got onto the ship.

'But what good would that have done you?' Katara asked herself. She wouldn't be able to leave, but she wouldn't be able to stay either. She would have been torn between Zuko and her family. 'That's why,' Katara thought bitterly. 'he made the choice for you.' Just like Zuko. He made the choice fore her. What was best for her. Atleast, in his opinion. Katara looked up when she heard footsteps. It was Commander Raymond.

"It is going to talk us about a month to get to the South Pole. AdMiral Brenda has set plotted the fastest route there. Of course, we'll have to stop for supplies every once in awhile." He looked out over the sea.

"Why are you telling me this?" Katara asked as she leaned on the railing, looking at the water once more.

"Admiral Brenda asked me to tell you this."

"Oh." Raymond nodded and left her alone once more. Katara watched the water as it rose and fell, licking at the ship. How she missed Zuko already. It made her heart ache. Katara continued to think, trying to find a solution to her problem.

"You know," She looked over her shoulder at Sokka. "I think dad will understand."

"What are you talking about, Sokka?" Sokka smiled softly at his sister.

"I'm just telling you the truth. He'll understand." Katara rose an eyebrow.

"And I'm just asking what you're talking about."

"If you haven't already figured it out, I worry about you." Sokka laughed as Katara stared at him in confusion.

"Sokka . . . I don't have the energy to bother with your weird behavior." Sokka sighed as Katara went back to watching the water. He put his hand on his sister's shoulder.

"Katara . . . . I just haven't gotten used to seeing you all grown up." She looked at him again, once more confused. "And I doubt dad will be able to accept it at first, but I'll talk with him. I'll tell him everything that happened. I'm sure he'll understand. As long as you're happy, we'll be happy." He squeezed her shoulder before leaving a confused Katara in his wake.

- - - - -

Brenda opened her eyes slowly as a knocking sound disturbed her sleep. A glare worked its way onto her face.

"This better be damn good." She grumbled as she stumbled out of bed. She pulled a red silk robe over her simple white tank top and black baggy pants. Brenda's reached out and felt her way towards a candle, stumbling once or twice and stubbing her toe on her dresser. Finally, after what seemed to be forever and a constant knocking sound to annoy her in the background, she found a candle. She was about to search for something to light it with when she realized that she was a firebender. Hurling the candle against the way, Brenda simply created a small flame in her hand and dragged her body over to the door. Unlocking the door, Brenda yanked it open to find Katara standing on the other side. Now, it was true that Brenda was smart, after all, she was a brilliant tactician and an Admiral to boot. But let's face it, she was not very bright when she woke up, forgetting she was a firebender was proof of that. So naturally, her brain could not process why on Earth Katara would be outside her door in the middle of the night. ". . . can I help you?"

". . . Brenda . . . . I have a question for you. Can you make me into a noble woman?"

- - - - -

Yay! I finally got done with this chapter. It was a killer to write. Well, this story is almost over. I think that the next chapter will be the last. Might be pretty short too. Then I can finish some other fics I have and start on a new story. Sorry, doubt there will be a sequel. But, the next one I write will be a Zutara and I promise to try and keep from the same old, same old plots. No offense to people who write those kind of stories. I myself, love a good 'Zuko captures Katara' story. Anyways, back on track. I hope you guys like it. Please review and tell me what you think.