Not much to say today, except that Nick and creators own Avatar, and that the fic is rated for language, violence, and fluff.

Zuko's Ship-

Every other night Zuko practiced fire with his uncle, and on the others he would practice normal fighting techniques with Mat. This everyday of hard practicing was wearing his body, so instead he decided to meditate with his uncle on this particular night.

As the two sat in complete silence, Zuko calmly let his thoughts drift to the surface, then discarded them as unimportant. Zuko was frustrated. His sister had most likely taken the Avatar, and her ship was undoubtedly faster than his. The candles flared as he thought of his two year quest coming to an abrupt end because his sister had taken the Avatar.

"Hot." Iroh calmly extinguished the candles with a wave of his hand. "Nephew, you need to relax."

"I can't!" Zuko stood up and angrily began to pace. "This is ridiculous! Why do I even try?" He sank to the floor and looked despairingly at the ceiling. "It's hopeless." He muttered.

"Come nephew. Let us try some more. You just need to clear your mind. The answers you need will come with patience." Zuko sighed angrily and assumed his meditativepose.

Breathing in a deep breath, Zuko tried to relax. There had only been one point in his life where he had achieved complete calmness. Zuko had thought he enjoyed anger and brashness to cool thinking, but that one moment of peace had changed something deep inside him. That one single moment of blissful understanding and contentment had been drops of water to a man dying of thirst. No matter how he tried, Zuko had never been able to reach that quiet place again.

Hours later, Zuko opened his eyes and stretched his legs, wincing from the cramping. Iroh too opened his eyes. "Did you find answers?" He asked kindly.

"Not exactly." Zuko grumbled, once again furious after another futile night.

"Before you turn in for the night, would you like to talk?" Iroh asked.

"About what?"

"I don't know. Anything. Is it so wrong to want to talk to my nephew?" Zuko sighed and sat on the floor, opposite his uncle. "Good." Iroh looked pleased. "Now, about your earlier question." Zuko looked startled, his uncle never gave him advice on this quest. Zuko didn't even know if his uncle approved of it or not. "Zuko, what do you truly want?"

"For my father to love me again." Zuko said at once, wondering where this was going. He thought they'd already gone over this.

"And meditating did not change this thinking?"

"Of course not!" Zuka said, looking indignant.

"What about this Mat?"

"What about her?"

"How do you feel about her?"

"She is a good friend." Zuko answered right away.

"I've noticed ever since she came you have been calmer, more cool headed."

Zuko looked suspiciously at his uncle, thinking he new where this was leading. He indeed had not noticed his change in temper.

"She's a female. They have that affect on people."

"I think it is more than that." Iroh told him, getting into the meat of the matter.

"Dammit uncle! Must you be so intrusive?" Zuko looked royally pissed off. "Fine. If you want me to say, I might as well. I enjoy having her here. I enjoy having someone to talk to." Zuko shot a withering glare at his uncle, who just smiled.

"You see, that is exactly what I'm talking about! Before you would have never admitted that. You would, as usual, have kept your emotions under tight reign. This girl is extremely good for you." Iroh told his confused nephew. "Now, this brings me to my point. What would happen if you went back to the fire nation?"

"I would regain my rightful place on the throne." Duh, Zuko thought.

"Would you have friends?"

"Ye-" Zuko paused. He pictured Milara, his supposed friend. He pictured all the other kids, none of whom really were his friend. "No." Zuko said slowly. "I would not have real friends. I would have slaves, useless fops who would try to use me to their advantage, people who act as if they were my friend out of fear."

"Is that what you want?"

Zuko looked sullen. "No." He mumbled. But then, remembering, "But I would have the love of my father!" Zuko glared defiantly at his uncle. "And that is worth more than a thousand friendships!" Zuko stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

"Poor Zuko." Iroh murmured, watching him leave.

Halfway between Omashu and the Fire Nation capital-

Katara, Sokka, and Suki were all huddled together next to the fire, trying to keep the biting wind from penetrating their clothes. They all thought the ominous creaking was from the wind, until a hand swiftly covered the mouth of Katara. Her thrashings quickly woke the other two.

"Damn! What now?" Sokka yelled, reaching for his boomerang. Halfway through the action, he froze, terror reflecting in his eyes. His nemesis, Zuko, had a knife to Katara's throat.

"Drop the weapons." Zuko ordered, brandishing the knife. Sokka immediately dropped his boomerang. Suki put her fans down more slowly, warily.

"What do you want? How did you find us?" Sokka demanded, his voice trembling in fear for his sister. 'Damn!' He thought to himself, looking at the ill-concealed fire.

"Merely information." Zuko replied, ignoring the question of how he find them. "Make a wrong move and she dies." Sokka had no doubt that Zuko wasn't bluffing. "The Avatar is gone." Zuko stated, getting right to the point. "Who took him?"

"A firebender." Sokka replied, not taking his eyes from Zuko's dagger. If he could only reach his knife concealed beneath his parka...

"Who?"

"I don't know." Sokka faltered, not knowing what to say. He did not want to admit he had missed the fight, afraid of Zuko's reaction.

"It was a woman!" Suki cut in. "Black hair, lithe and swift as a viper. Took us all out before we could do anything." The light in Zuko's eyes went out. Growling, he tossed Katara back to her brother and turned from the camp.

"No you don't!" As soon as Katara was safe from harm Sokka sprang for his boomerang, and threw it with practiced efficiency. Zuko, hearing the unmistakable whistling sound, whirled around and caught the boomerang. Without a moment's pause he threw it deep into the forest, and ran out of the clearing. "Coward!" Sokka yelled as Suki raced after Zuko. She came back a few minutes later, shaking her head. It was night, and they were in a foreign forest, making it impossible for her to track Zuko. After making sure Katara was not traumatized the three sat to discuss the events of the night.

"What was that all about?" Suki inquired. "Is that truly all he wanted to know? Who had taken the Avatar? Judging from his reaction he knows this firebender."

"I thought he was going to kill me anyway." Katara said, tears clogging her throat.

Sokka hugged her close to him, shame filling him. Why hadn't he been able to protect her? And Aang! That was two people Sokka couldn't protect. Who would be next, Suki? Sokka couldn't face his shame.

Back at Zuko's ship-

"Hey! Where did you go?" Mat inquired.

"It's true. It was Zulo who took the Avatar. I truly have no hope."

"What?" Mat looked very confused. "I thought we had already established that fact."

"We didn't know for certain. Now we do."

"How did you find out?"

"Mind your own business." Zuko disappeared below deck.

Zuko's Ship-

It was night, several days after Zuko had attacked the gang, and Mat and Zuko were sitting on the deck, staring at the stars. "They're so beautiful." Mat said. "I could stare at them forever..."

"It's been forever." Zuko grumbled. "I had no idea it would take this long to get to the Fire Nation capital."

"Don't be such a grump." Mat playfully punched him. "Just enjoy the time we have to relax."

"I've been relaxing enough!" Zuko stood up and started to pace. "We need to move faster! This blasted ship is a pile of rubbish!" He kicked the railing, which promptly fell off.

Mat giggled, then looked serious. "Zuko, do you have someone you love?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Well, it just seems if you had a lady in your life you would be less... Turbulent."

Zuko thought once again about his childhood friend, Milara. How they had always been together, through the thick and thin, how he had first started to develop feelings for her. Then, he remember how she had laughed, just when he needed her most. She had laughed at him when he stumbled into his room, his eye covered in burns his father had just given him. "No." He replied. "I don't love anyone, like that..." He looked at Mat. "You?"

"Of course!" Mat brightened immediately. "I miss him so much! We've only known each other for a few months, but I just know he's the man for me."

"Where is he?" Zuko asked, intrigued. What kind of man could handle, or love, this little nobody?

"On some mission or other. He's a mercenary, of sorts. More like an assassin, but that's such an ugly word."

"Which side does he work for?"

"Whichever one offers him more money."

"That's despicable." Zuko was disgusted. Men with no loyalty were worse than traitors.

"It's a living." Mat said, insulted.

"How old is he?"

"25." Mat said happily.

"25?" Zuko was stunned. "How old are you?"

"18." Seeing his reaction, "What? I like my men old. As long as I truly love him, I don't care how old he is. He's the most powerful person I know, I bet he could even give your uncle a run for his money."

"Doubt it." Zuko was smug.

Mat grinned wickedly. "When all this is over and I find him again, we'll just have to see who is the better man." She paused, and looked back to the stars. "I really do miss him, though. I hope he's doing ok..."

"If he's truly as powerful as you say he is, then I'm sure he's fine." Zuko still didn't approve of a man killing for money, but if his friend loved him he would learn to live with it.

A/N-

While the little conversation about love may seem random, it's only there to prove that my OC and Zuko will NOT be having a romantic relationship. Gosh, there are SO MANY of those popping up... Grrr... Anywho, my OC is here for one reason and one alone, so you'll all just have to wait and see what's in store for her XD