Sorry for the long update. I was in Niagra Falls for a while. Anyway, I REALLY REALLY want reviews, and considering I haven't gotten any yet, either my story sucks or it just isn't been read. PLEASE REVIEW! (Whether you love it or hate it.) Enjoy!

Chapter 9

About two hours later, we were eating with Natsu's friend, Bunzo, his brother, Gekko, and his wife, Fumi. The entire crew had shown up and was chattering loudly about Natsu (someone … probably Iroh … had told them about me, and they seemed as excited as I was about finding a thought-to-be dead guy).

We had just sat down to eat with Natsu on my right and Gekko on my left. Zuko was sitting across from me, next to his uncle. Bunzo sat on Natsu's other side with Fumi. It was a feast. There were potatoes, cooked vegetables, roasted meats, fresh rolls and pastries. I'd never seen such a variety. I had a little bit of everything on my plate and was about to eat when Gekko leaned over and said "So you're Natsu's mysterious sister."

I did not like the way he was moving closer and closer to me. Scooting a little more toward Natsu, I replied somewhat nervously "Yes, I am. Does he talk about me much?"

"Oh, loads, like how you always pursued something you wanted until you got it." Oh, man. Natsu was so in depth in conversation with Iroh that he didn't notice his best friend hitting on his own sister.

"Ugh," I grunted with revulsion. This guy was a complete slob and looked as though he hadn't bathed … well, ever. He scooted even closer and took a huge mouthful of potato and meat. At least he chewed with his mouth closed … at least as much as he could with a more-than-full mouth. I rolled my eyes and took a bite out of a buttered roll.

Gekko swallowed his mouthful and said "So, would you maybe like to have a tour of the village?"

'Oh, just GO AWAY!' I wanted to scream.

"I've sent it before," I said, refusing to look at him. Can't this guy take a hint!

"Yes, but you've been gone a long time." With this he put his arm around my shoulders. Now I was angry. How dare he touch me without my permission. How dare he demean and embarrass me in front of my family; both new and old. How DARE he!

"Get off of me," I said in a low and dangerous voice through gritted teeth.

"What? You're only here for a very short time. You may as well enjoy it."

"I said, get – off – of – me!" My hands were clenched. My voice was still low, but it had a severity that Gekko seemed immune to.

Suddenly he backed away (more like jerked away), a scared and surprised look on his face. But he wasn't looking at my face. I followed his gaze and realized that fire had engulfed my fists. I saw the fear on his face, and almost felt bad. Almost. Oh well, I should probably apologize anyway.

"Sorry," I muttered, making the flames disappear. It was then that I noticed that everyone was staring at me, and Natsu's face had gone white.

"What?" I asked to no one in particular. It was Bunzo who broke the silence.

"Y-You're a f-fire-b-bender?"

"Yeah, so?" I said, then looked at Natsu, and I understood immediately. "Oh no, you never told them that we were fire-benders, did you?"

Natsu said nothing, but just sat there, looking at his empty plate.

"YOU WERE ONE OF THEM! YOU WERE ONE OF THEM AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US!" The explosion came from Gekko, which meant that it was right next to my ear.

"Shut up," I said, but Gekko just kept going.

"We HELPED you! We FED you. We PAID for your STUPID HOUSE

And YOU-"

"I said shut up!" I repeated, this time conjuring a small fire-ball in my hand as back-up. This time, Gekko wasn't moved.

"And isn't it just like a fire-bender to use fire to their advantage!"

"If you had a weapon, you would use it to your advantage, wouldn't you? Otherwise, what's the point of it? Well!"

Gekko opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. He was dumbfounded.

"Besides, it's not like you didn't realize that you had a fire-bender visiting." I continued, motioning toward Zuko and Iroh.

"We thought he was okay since he was with you. We didn't realize that you were just as much of a filthy barbarian as he is. You don't care about anyone but yourself. You don't care if someone dies because of your kind. You're-"

"Silence." I said this in a harsh whisper, and I know that they hear the threat in my voice. Still in a low voice, I said "You know nothing about me. You accuse me of things an actual member of the Fire Nation would be. I have done nothing to you," I was standing now. "HE has done nothing to you," I pointed to Zuko, and I noticed that his uncle was literally having to hold him back. I took a few deep breaths and turned to Bunzo and Fumi. "I'm sorry we bothered you. Thank you for the meal; it was delicious." And with that, I walked out of the house.

After a few moments, Zuko joined me, along with the rest of the guys. We kept on walking, not looking at each other, not speaking. As we approached the ship, Aibō swooped ahead of us and landed on the watchtower, letting out a loud screech.

Once we were on deck, I turned to see that no one had followed us on. Then, I remembered that we had also come to get supplies.

"He had no right to treat you like that," said Zuko, still at my side.

"It's OK," I replied, not wanting to talk about just now.

"No, it's not. One second, he's hitting on you-" so at least someone noticed "-and the next he finds out you're a fire-bender and wants to kick you out. That's not right, he had no right to call you a 'filthy barbarian.' He doesn't even know you!" He was so angry now that his hands were flaming. I was touched that he was getting this way on my account. Gently, I laid a hand on one of his flaming ones. The fire-ball disappeared immediately.

"It's OK," I said again, "I've been called worse things. But thanks for standing up for me." I took my hand away and walked over to the railing, leaning over it. "I can't believe it. After eight years of thinking I'd lost everyone, and all in one day I find out that I didn't. I mean … Natsu's alive! I never would've even imagined it. Not that I'm not happy … I've never been happier! It's just that it's so unbelievable. Do you think he'll want to come with us?"

Zuko came over to stand next to me. "I can't imagine that he wouldn't. He seemed to be as happy to see you as you were to see him." There's something in that look.

"Would you be okay if he came with us?" I asked.

He didn't say anything . Oh no.

"What is it? What is it you don't like about him?"

"Nothing … it's just that … I don't know. It's fine, he can come."

"No, tell me. What is it you don't like about Natsu?"

"I don't know."

"Zuko-"

"Look, I just don't, OK? I don't know why I don't like him. I just don't."

I turned to face him. "Look, I know my brother, and I know that he would never do anything to hurt me or anyone that I care about."

"I don't doubt that. I saw the look on his face when he saw you. It's like I said; I don't know why I don't like him."

"But it's still OK if he comes with us?"

He looked at me. "How could I say 'no'?"

How could he tell her? How could he possibly tell her why he didn't like Natsu. He seemed like a nice guy and all. But he, of all people, would know that people are not always what they seem to be. Sure, he had seen the way he had looked at Nari. He clearly still cared deeply about her. But he had also seen the look Natsu had given him. He didn't know what it was about that look, but he didn't like it one bit and he knew that the guy was going to be trouble … but he couldn't tell Nari that.

But why did he care so much?

When she and her brother had embraced when they saw each other, he'd felt a surge of jealousy.

Why?

When Gekko had continued to flirt with Nari even after she told him to get lost, he'd felt pure rage and fury. The same when he'd insulted her.

Why?

And just two seconds ago, when she'd put her hand in his, he'd lost all anger, all rage, all jealousy, everything. There'd been only that contact. He'd only felt her hand and his hand. His cheeks were still burning from it. He'd been so thankful that she hadn't noticed that.

But why?

He'd talk to Uncle later. He understood this kind of thing. But in the meantime, he needed to focus on what to do about Natsu.

But he couldn't. All he could think about was the look of hope; of complete trust in her eyes. So he said …

"How could I say 'no'?"

Chapter 10

Soon after he and Nari had reached the ship, Iroh came up, saying that he wanted to make sure that Nari was OK. She said that she was, and Iroh went back to the market. Zuko turned back to Nari to see her petting Aibō, and the hawk making tiny clicking noises. He liked the picture they made, with Aibō on the railing, and her absent-mindedly stroking him. He was feeling a weird sensation right then. What was it? For once, he wasn't at all worried about finding the Avatar … and it was bliss. After almost three years of thinking of one thing and one thing only, it was pure freedom to think of something else. Something he wanted to think about. And … he was happy.

She turned to him and smiled. It was crazy what a stupid smile could do to him. "Thanks," she said.

"For what?"

"Everything."

"Oh."

Oh? What a stupid thing to say. But why did he even care about what he said? He walked to her other side, putting Aibō between them. The large bird turned and fixed its gaze on Zuko, continuing to make those clicking noises. Slowly, the hawk stepped bit by bit toward him and put his beak right in his face. What was he doing? Nari seemed to have read his mind.

"He wants you to pet him. He must really trust you; he's never let anyone but me even get this close to him before."

This was awkward. Uncertainly, he lifted his hand and gently stroked the creature's chest. Said bird made those noises again. A look at Nari showed him a wide smile and shining eyes. She moved closer and put a finger in front of Aibō's beak, which he began to nibble. Zuko continued to stroke the bird, but he couldn't stop staring at Nari. But it wasn't her face he was looking at. It was her arm. The leather covering on her arm had slipped down slightly, and he saw something peeking out of it. Immediately he knew what it was, and he couldn't believe it.

It was a scar…

A burn scar.

Nari saw where he was looking and gasped. She started to try and pull it back up, then stopped. She knew it was too late.

"It's a burn, isn't it?"

Refusing to look at him, she nodded.

"I'm not going to scold you if that's what think."

She said nothing, and she still wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly.

"I was going to, I really was. It's just … when I told you about my village, I got so caught up that I completely forgot about … this. And there hasn't really been a good time to bring it up after that." She sat down, hugging her knees.

"Now's a good time," he said in that same soft voice, sitting down as well.

No one said anything for a few seconds, then Nari spoke up.

"Do you remember when I said that our stories are very similar?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, this is another way their similar. I got this," she said, motioning toward her arm, "the same way you got that," she waved her hand at his left eye. "Well, similarly anyway."

"How?"

Silence. He waited patiently, thinking all the while what else she was hiding from him.

Finally, she spoke. "While I was trying to run away from the village, my father spotted me and followed. He and two other men are the ones who cornered me at the river. My father was the one who took the shot. It was then that Natsu knocked them away with a blast and threw me into the river. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough, so the fire still got my arm."

Silence. Then she continued.

"I guess, in a way, our scars describe who we are. Some people prefer to hide it, to hide their past, who they are. Others aren't able to hide it unless they wear a mask, because the world already knows their story, their past. Sometimes, I'm not sure which freedom really makes you free: the freedom to hide it when you want, or the freedom to not have to."

Silence.

"I know what you're thinking. You're wondering what else I've been hiding from you."

He looked up. He'd been staring at his feet. She said "But I promise that now I am hiding nothing more from you than you're hiding from me."

This kind of shocked him. There was only one thing that he was keeping from her; and that was what he wanted to talk to his uncle about.

There was absolute silence after that. Aibō landed on her lap and she began running a finger over his beak and head. Zuko leaned over and began stroking the large bird's chest again. In return, the hawk nibbled on his finger. He let him. Nari continued to star lovingly at her pet. He never wanted this moment to end.

But, of course, it did . They sat there like that for a while, until everyone same back on deck, carrying numerous items and led by Iroh, and followed … by Natsu. As soon as Nari saw him she transferred Aibō to Zuko's lap, jumped up and screamed "Natsu!" She didn't need to move the hawk, because as soon as she jumped up, he took to the air and glided over to the guest. Zuko stood up and walked indifferently to where Nari and Natsu were conversing. Once he was within earshot-

"They kicked me out," Natsu was saying, "I mean, being a fire-bender and all …"

"I'm so sorry" Nari apologized, "I honestly thought that they knew already."

"It's alright. Anyway, I was wondering if it would be okay if I-"

"-Came with us? Oh, that's perfectly fine with us. Right, Zuko?" They turned to look at him with pleading eyes.

His instincts were screaming for him to say "No, get off my ship!", but he just couldn't. Not with the way she was looking at her brother. Again he asked himself "Why?" He'd as Uncle tonight. But now, the only thing he could think of to say was–

"Of course. Welcome aboard." Unlike Nari, he didn't miss the grin (not the smile, but the grin) that was flashed his way.

"You're in love," said Iroh in slight humor. They were sitting in Zuko's room, and Zuko had just told his uncle everything he'd been confused about. "You feel defensive toward her, you lost all negative feeling when she touched you, you feel like you can't say no when she looks at you, from everything you've told me it can only mean one thing. You're in love."

Zuko stood there, dumbfounded. "No, I'm not. I think I would know if I felt something that serious."

"No, you wouldn't. In fact, most people don't know at first. And when they do, they usually deny it."

"But she's … and I'm …" But no matter what he said, he knew that his uncle was right. He knew that there was no other explanation. He knew that he was in love.

This was going to be awkward.

Neither of them realized that there was someone right outside, their ear against the door.

I had never been so happy. My thought-to-be drowned brother was here on the ship with us. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. Natsu had talked to me and we had agreed to stop by our family's graves. We were almost there, and I was preparing myself for something I'd thought I'd never have to face…

Home.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Zuko, standing on the watchtower with me. He had just come back from talking to Iroh. I wondered what they had talked about. Probably what to do about Natsu. Did Iroh feel the same way about him as Zuko? What didn't they like about him? Then I remembered that Zuko had asked me a question.

"Hm?"

"Are you sure you want to do this? Go there, I mean."

"… No, I'm not. But I know that I need to." He was looking at me in a strange way, as if trying to figure something out. Did it have to do with Natsu? To get him to think about something else (or rather tell me what he was thinking about), I said "So what did you and your uncle talk about?"

He quickly looked away and cleared his throat.

"Um … just … stuff." Okay, so it was definitely something to do with me and Natsu.

"Like what?"

"A lot of stuff."

"For example …?"

But he never got a chance to give me one because Natsu came up to us and said-

"We're here."

Well, that's it for now. But I promise to update REAL soon. Maybe even later this week! (winkwink)