Disclaimer: It just makes me even more depressed to mention the fact that I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender. But hey, I'm making my mom watch it with me. She likes it too. She's funny because she likes anime. Oh, good times, good times.

Special Thanks: Here's a list of people who have reviewed my story so far. If you review, then I put you on my special thanks list. This is for people who have reviewed either of the two previous chapters.

-LunaChaos

-almostinsane

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-Rebirth of the Poenix

On with the show!

A Sudden Outburst

Uncle Iroh had seen Zuko and Katara hug from a safe distance. "He's finally found a sympathetic person in his life it seems." Uncle Iroh couldn't help but to smile. He wanted so badly for Zuko to be happy. Zuko had always been like a son to him, ever since his own son and wife had died. This of course was his brother's doing. He hoped that Zuko would soon realize that he needed to join the Avatar to get revenge on his father for what he did. He didn't want to push his nephew into it, he had wanted him to discover this on his own.

As Katara and Zuko separated from their hug she looked at him and smiled. His face seemed much softer and kinder looking in the pale sunlight that engulfed the island. They both looked over towards the sunset. Zuko's heart overflowed with happiness. He finally found a person in this world who thought that he didn't deserve to be burned, besides his uncle that is. She seemed different to him all of the sudden. She seemed to have the aura of a mother. She reminded him of his own mother.

Katara noticed that he was staring at her. "What is it Zuko?" Zuko suddenly started blush. He turned away. What's wrong with me? Why can't I look at her? "Uuuhh it's nothing. You just, look like my mother. That's all." Katara was shocked. She was a water bender and his mother must have been a fire bender, so how could she look like his mother?

"How do I look like her?" She was starting to suspect that she wasn't an ordinary fire bender.

Zuko looked up and pulled a tiny piece of paper out of his shirt. It was the paper he was looking at the other day. He slowly handed the precious paper over to her to look at. It was a picture of a beautiful woman. She had warm, brownish red eyes, a kind and everlasting smile, but her most striking feature was her tan skin and dark brown hair. "Is this your mother?" Zuko nodded a "yes". "She looks like a water bender!"

"Yes, it may seem so, but she's not. The Fire Nation is split into four sections, north, south, east, and west. The Western and Southern fire benders have dark skin and brown hair, much like water benders. Katara looked at the picture some more. Then she noticed the cutest little boy was wrapped up in her arms. He had the biggest smile she had ever seen. He seemed so happy. He was maybe about four to five years old. He had the same eyes and jet-black hair tied up in a high ponytail.

"Zuko, that little boy…is that you?" Zuko's expression turned to one of embarrassment. He nodded again.

"OH MY GOD YOU WERE SSSOOOO CUTE!" Katara squealed. Zuko quickly sat up in shock from how loud and excited she became. She started giggling uncontrollably. Her cheeks turned a slight shade of red as she stared at the picture. "What happened?" she asked with a smirk. Zuko's face turned bright red. "Well if I didn't have this scar I'd be much better looking okay?" He turned away from her with his arms crossed. She laughed and got up. She dusted the sand off and handed him the picture. "She really was beautiful. I'm glad you think I'm beautiful too." She smiled. Her cheeks turned red again, but not from excitement.

Zuko watched as she started to walk away. "Wait, Katara!" She whirled around to face him. "Yes?" she asked, a smile still on her face. "I would be honored if you, your brother, and Aang joined my uncle and I once we get off this island." He gulped. "And let you guys hand us in willingly? I don't think so." Zuko began to stutter. "Uh, no, that's not what I meant. I meant that we would like to join you three in your quest, to dethrone and kill my father. My uncle and I want to help." Katara stood there in awe. "Well this is certainly a sudden outburst. I'll talk to Sokka and Aang about it." With that she left.

Zuko sighed heavily. "Uncle? Are you going to hide there in the bushes all day, or are you going to come out?" His uncle emerged with a sheepish grin on his face. "Well, it appears that my days as a ninja are numbered…" "Uncle," Zuko interrupted, "You never were a ninja." Zuko looked at his uncle with one eyebrow raised. "Well, then they are over before they began." Iroh smiled. "I believe you made the right choice Prince Zuko." Zuko stared out to sea once again. "Me too uncle, I think I made the right choice too."

"HE WANTS TO WWWHHAAATTTT!" Sokka shouted. "No Way! He is NOT joining us!" Sokka was fuming. He hated Zuko with more passion than his love for food.

"Why not?" Aang asked. "I had a really nice conversation with him. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff he's been through. He even showed me a picture of what he looked like before he was burned." Katara perked up at hearing this. He has a picture huh? I want to see it. Maybe he really was cute up until the scar incident. "I think Zuko wants to open up to us Sokka, besides he promised me that he'd teach me fire bending as soon as he could walk."

"When was this?" Katara asked. "I don't remember him saying anything about that."

"Oops, I guess I forgot to mention it. He said that he and Uncle Iroh would teach me. Isn't that great!"

"Oh sure, it's great, loads of fun." Sokka said sarcastically. "I wonder what other fun things he has planned for us."

"Well two out of three say that it's okay. I'll go tell him." Katara started getting up. Just then a hand grabbed her. She looked down. Sokka's worried face looked up at her.

"No Katara, I don't like you going to talk to him alone. I'll come with you."

"No Sokka, you'll just cause trouble. I can talk to him on my own." She turned to leave again, but Sokka once again grabbed her. "Sokka would you let go of me?"

"You don't understand Katara, even though he has a broken leg, he still is a boy."

"And?"

"An OLDER boy."

"Your point being?"

"He still has hormones, he could easily pin you down. He's strong you know. It takes a lot to throw me as far as he did."

"Sokka, I'm sure he wouldn't do anything like that to me. He's too traditional. He has pride. He wouldn't stoop to that kind of level. He wouldn't do stuff like that."

"Stuff like what?" Aang asked. His head was slightly cocked to the side. Katara and Sokka just looked at him and sighed.

"Don't worry about it Aang. You'll find out when you're older."

"Okay, I'm older now, how about now?"

"No Aang, just forget about it. Sokka, I'm going. If you're going to come with me, then don't talk to him okay?"

"But…"

"Promise?" Katara was pointing her finger at Sokka so he had no choice but to listen to her.

"Fine, I promise." The two siblings left Aang to practice his air bending. As they walked side-by-side Katara looked up at her brother. He really cared about her, she could tell. He was always looking out for her. She loved him more than anyone else in the world, but also hated him at the same time. She wished that he would let her be a little more independent instead of thinking that ever guy in the world wanted to rape her in some way or form. She let out a sigh that caught Sokka's attention.

"What's wrong? Are you still mad at me?" He looked down at his feet, ashamed that he made his sister so upset.

"No, I was just thinking about how much I love you, that's all." She looked up at him again with a smile that he returned back to her.

"I'm sorry. I really should explain to you why I'm so protective of you. There are four reasons. The first reason is that I'm your older brother, and as your older brother I am obligated to protect you. The second reason is that I'm a boy, and as a boy I'm obligated to protect you…"

"Wow, I'm just one big obligation huh?"

"No! Let me finish! The third reason is that I love you. I feel the need to protect you because I love you. The last reason is that mom made me promise to protect you the day before she died. I don't want to go back on my word."

Katara stared at her brother in awe. He really DID care about her. She wasn't just an obligation to him. She could see why he was so protective of her now. And now that she thought about it, she rather have an over protective brother than an under protective brother. She felt better now.

They finally reached where Zuko was sitting. Nighttime had already fallen over the island. Zuko started a fire and heard them coming. He looked up and noticed that Katara was smiling again. How he loved it when she smiled.

"Hi Zuko. We though about your offer and we decided that you and Uncle Iroh are the newest members of our team!" Zuko was genuinely glad, but didn't smile. He simply stated a "Good…" under his breath.

Uncle Iroh and Aang arrived and everyone ate their freshly caught dinner. Laughter and stories from Uncle Iroh were a common tradition now. All laughed, except for Zuko.

"Prince Zuko?"

"Yes uncle?"

"Why don't you laugh or smile for once?"

"Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

Aang, Katara, and Sokka started laughing. They knew where this was going, and they couldn't wait.

"Prince Zuko, I bet you that the four of us are going to be able to get you to laugh and or smile by dinner time tomorrow night!"

"Oh really? How much you wanna bet?" Zuko found that this was a great opportunity to prove that he had no weaknesses. And Uncle Iroh saw this as an opportunity to prove that Zuko had weaknesses, that he was in fact human.

"Alright then, it's a deal!"

YAY! Another chapter done! With little time to spare! Review you lazy people review! I'll put your name on my list! I'll recognize and demonstrate your kindness to the world! NOW PRESS THAT BUTTON DAMN IT!