Aww, my kitty is so cute. I almost thought it would fit to name her Momo because she has these big green eyes and her favorite thing to do is perch on my shoulders. But I think I'll call her Peef (which is just my own shorter version of professor Fluffypants). Anyways, this chapter has an interesting plot twist. Hope you likey.

Shoutouts:

Plutobaby494: Okay, I will update soon. OH LOOK HERE IT IS! Man I'm fast.

ZukoPunk: Sorry I accidentally completely and utterly forgot to shout you out last chapter and I had a really good comment too dangit. Now for this comment: Ew, why are there split guts all over my monitor?

FlyingGreenFlamingo: Yeah, the Robin angst kinda gets annoying to me. I really like his character and think he's hot as Nightwing, but I just don't understand how he always seems to be the most powerful team member. The most powerful should be Raven or Starfire, not circus boy over there.

Zukoscute2: I totally agree with your pen name. I hope you meant a good interesting and I hope you don't hate the story because I made Zuko such a perv when he was drunk. DON'T BE HATIN'! By the way, welcome aboard.

Khazia: It's always fun writing Zuko drunk because you don't have to worry about him being OOC. By the way, even though I already wrote it in a review to you today, I'm lovin' your story! And I suddenly got an inspirational idea for you if you're open for it. you should take Zuko to the Brothers Grimm in your story and drool over Heath Ledger! Just a suggestion.

Lovergal1227: of this we shall see.

Zulaya: Yes, there is a lesson to be learned here.

"I've been meaning to tell you this: you look familiar." Marius said as he sat with Katie beneath an apple tree. She had managed to get a strip of parchment and an ink brush and had sat here to sketch when he decided to join her.

"Hm, well people always tell me I look like Tinkerbell from Speilberg's Hook. Which is proof that I'm destined to marry Dante Basco. But I have a feeling you've never seen it."

"You are betrothed to someone based on your looks?" Marius asked, slightly crestfallen.

"If I say yes then will you stop following me?"

"No." He said grinning.

"No, I'm not betrothed." Katie said with a sigh, picking up her brush again. She had been trying to be really cold towards Marius all day in hopes he would leave her alone. He was becoming less attractive by the moment and she was getting a creepy feeling whenever he was around. She had started out the morning furious at the guy. She knew he had intentionally sent her into Zuko's room while he was drunk so that she would get upset. Katie had been trying to find Zuko to talk about what happened, but he had remained shut away all day and Marius just kept persisting on being her escort everywhere she went. Katie glanced up at the rhino she was sketching. Shinja had a paddock in which she kept seven of the beasts. Katie was really starting to like them. They weren't as pretty as her horses, but they had about the same temperament

"Marius, Miss Lin, dinner is ready." The voice of Marius' mother called from the house. Katie stood up grateful for the opportunity to surround herself with people other than Marius. She was happy to see Zuko enter the dining room after she sat down, but he didn't look at her and sat as far away as possible. He didn't look too great; he must have still been feeling the after affects of his hangover. She could feel his eyes on her every time Marius would start speaking to her, but would look away when she turned to him. After dinner, everyone gathered into the sitting room. Katie sat on the floor and played a hand-clapping game with a five-year-old girl and Marius eagerly took the space on the chair behind her.

"Miss Katie says he's very handsome." He heard Meeka whispering to a younger girl only a few feet away. Zuko threw some glares at the two throughout the evening and couldn't take it anymore when Marius placed a hand on Katie's shoulder. Zuko stood up as unobtrusively as he could and slipped out the back door. Katie shrugged away Maruis' hand and followed. She found Zuko leaning against the rhino paddock, his body bathed in moonlight.

"Aren't you even going to talk to me?" Katie demanded placing her hands on her hips. Zuko turned and glared at her.

"What's there to talk about?"

"Well, for starters you could apologize for being such a pig last night."

"Alright, I'm sorry. Is there anything else?"

"Just tell me what's bothering you."

"Nothing's bothering me. In fact, things have become very clear. I have come to the decision that you would be better off staying here with my family…and Marius." Zuko muttered the last part, but Katie heard him all the same and grinned.

"You're jealous aren't you? Ha! You do like me." Zuko turned and looked at her as though she had lost her mind.

"You mean you didn't know? I don't think I could have made it any more obvious." he said, completely exasperated.

"Well, I know you like my butt." Katie said grinning even more. "But come on, I've only known you for a week and you haven't exactly said anything up front."

"SAID ANYTHING UP FRONT! How could you not…just forget it. I know you'll be happy here with Marius."

"How can you say that?"

"Please. I know you think he's 'very handsome'." Zuko said turning back to the rhinos.

"Well duh. I'm a teenage girl. Every other guy I see I think is handsome. But what makes you think I would be happy here with Marius? The guy's a creep, and he only likes me because I'm the only girl his age for miles. Put me in a lineup and he wouldn't give me a second glance." Katie walked over and sat on the fence beside Zuko, but he still wouldn't look at her. He occupied himself by picking at a few splinters. "Zuko, please. Just talk to me. You've been avoiding me all day and it's driving me insane. Do you want me to say it again? I have absolutely no feelings for Marius." Still Zuko wouldn't look at her. She placed her hand beneath his chin and lifted his face. "Zuko, I want to be with you." Zuko pulled away.

"No. You deserve better. I don't have anything to offer. I have no honor; I have no country, I'm barely even a man. There's nothing I can give you." Katie hopped down from the fence and stepped in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I don't care, you're the only thing in this world that has made sense so far. Like it or not, your stuck with me." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

"What about last night? Don't you think I'm disgusting?"

"Yes. But last night you were drunk Zuko. You weren't thinking clearly and if it ever happens again I will scalp you. I trust you pal." She kissed him again and this time he joined in. They stood there for nearly ten minutes in each other's arms, just holding and being held when the first few drops of another rainstorm came down upon them.

"We should head inside." Zuko said looking up at the sky.

"No, let's go for a walk."

"It's raining."

"I know." She grinned mischievously. She began jogging as the rain began to come down harder, giggling as a rush of excitement filled her. She turned and waited for him to catch up. When he did he swept her up off the ground in a hug and spun around as rain pelted their skin.

Katie woke up, for the fourth time since arriving in this strange world, wrapped up next to Zuko. He was awake and was gently stroking her arm with his fingertips. They had played in the rain for almost an hour before coming in. Neither could muster the energy to make it up to their rooms, so they had just collapsed on the couch in the drawing room. Katie was squished between Zuko and the back of the couch, but it was a good kind of squished.

"Good morning." She mumbled snuggling closer.

"And you as well." He whispered, kissing her hair.

"What time is it?"

"Almost sunrise."

"Mm. We should probably get up."

"Probably." Neither of them moved. They were both still sopping wet and the couch beneath them was probably ruined. They knew that one of the adults would have a heart attack when they saw them, immediately thinking the worst. But they really didn't care. And so they lay there in silence until the first person came downstairs and spotted them. Unfortunately it was Ellisme. She let out an excited squeak and ran back upstairs in a fit of giggles.

"We should probably get up." Katie said again.

"Probably." They laid there for a few more minutes, but the sound of giggles from the stairs forced them to finally get up. They went up to their separate rooms to change into dry clothes. By the time they came downstairs, everyone was awake and breakfast was cooking. Several adults threw looks of disapproval at the two teens; obviously news had spread about their sleeping conditions last night. Marius was looking sulky and wouldn't look at Katie. She figured this was a big improvement.

"Nephew, your uncle has volunteered to take you into town and help deliveryour message to Iroh." Shinja said after breakfast was over and a servant began clearing the table. Zuko nodded and Katie groaned inside. Just when they had started getting close, he had to leave. And what was she going to do in her spare time. She couldn't stand another day with Marius panting after her. "Do you like books my dear?" Shinja asked Katie. Katie was a little startled; it was the first time the old woman had spoken to her since she had arrived.

"Yes, I love books."

"I have to show you my library then." Shinja said with a smile. Well, that solves one problem.

After Zuko left on rhino with his uncle, Shinja kept her word and took Katie to her library. It was basically another sitting room with a fireplace and one wall lined with books and scrolls. Katie grinned at the couch in the middle of the room imagining cuddling with Zuko in front of a warm fire with a book. Katie walked along bookshelf and studied the spines of the books, she found one bound in blue-dyed leather and pulled it down. She opened to the first page, but instead of seeing words she saw a bunch of Chinese characters. She could feel Shinja's eyes on her back, so she took the book and plopped on the couch pretending to read it. This book was filled with beautiful pictures, so it was still quite interesting to look at. By the time she had looked at every picture in the book, Shinja had left the library. Katie put the book back in its place and walked around the room. The walls were lined with portraits of family. She actually found one with Zuko in it, although she almost skimmed right over it. He was standing with Marius and another little boy, they were next to a rhino. All of them looked solemn in a completely adorable way. They must have only been five. Katie wandered to the next picture and froze. Staring back at her was a pair of dark eyes on a heart-shaped face. They were her dark eyes and face. Katie could only gape at the portrait of herself. When she got over her initial shock, she could see it wasn't her. The skin was much paler and the lips were thinner and glossy long black hair framed the face and fell to her elbows. This woman was wearing a beautiful red silk dress that hugged a perfect body. This, Katie thought ruefully, definitely wasn't her.

"I was wondering when you were going to find that." Shinja was right at Katie's elbow. She turned quickly to face the old woman. "Sorry to frighten you dove, but I was getting impatient. I thought I was going to have to take you by the arm and bring you to it." Katie looked back at the painting.

"Who is she?"

"Her name was Zerita. She was my neice, but she died fifteen years ago during childbirth." The old woman said smiling fondly at the painting.

"I'm very sorry. Did her baby make it?"

"Yes, it was a very healthy little girl. We were all shocked that the labor was so difficult for Zerita. Her first birthing had gone perfectly without any complications. It might have just been that she had had her second child so closely after."

"Where is her family now?" Katie asked gazing back at the face. One corner of the mouth was curled up slightly and again she was taken aback at how much she looked like this woman. Good Gandhi, we even have the same dimple.

"Hmm, let's see. Her daughter is at the Firenation capital with her father. And her son…let's see." She gazed at the ceiling, deep in thought; "He's riding into town with his uncle on one of my rhino's."

Told ya there would be an interesting twist. There's a somewhat interesting story behind the name Zerita For those of you who careIt was my great gramma Katie's middle name. I just thought it would be cool to put it in there since I do actually look like her and the name starts with Z. It all fits nicely into place.