Disclaimer: I want Avatar to be mine, but it is not! I feel the void in my live growing, so I fill it by writing fan fiction.

Note: Anything in Italic is said in thought.

"Campfire Stories"

Zuko was standing on the shoreline of a small river. Concentrating his breathing as he formed fire into a tight spear shape. A pair of ocean blue eyes watched him as he tried to remember his Fire bending skills. In the eyes of his watcher Zuko looked somewhat out of place in the cloths that Sokka had given to him to wear. Clad in a short sleeve blue gi standing on a shoreline and bending fire just seemed a tad out of place. How ever the watcher didn't speak, and was about to leave when.

CRACK!

A twig had snapped under the weight of Zuko's observer's foot.

"Who's there," the prince asked putting a serious tone in his voice and holding the fireball ready to throw it at who ever might emerge form the foliage.

Letting out a small and nervous chuckle Katara stepped out for her spot in the bushes that ran just along the sandy shore. "Hey Zuko. I heard you get up and I was just wondering what you were doing. And now I know so I will just be going now." She began to head back towards the campsite.

"Wait Katara," Zuko's voice made the waterbender girl freeze in her tracks. He extinguished the blazing spear he had been welding.

"Yeah?"

As the girl turned back to face Zuko he beckoned her over to him as he flopped down on to the sandy bank of the river. A bit hesitant at first Katara made her way over to him. She knelt down waiting for him to speak. Poor Katara couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable around Zuko even thought they had been traveling together for two weeks, and he had shown no signs of recovering any memories of Aang, Sokka, or her.

"I can tell you don't really want to travel with me." Zuko's voice became very hushed as he spoke to her, "None of you do."

"T-that's not true. We would not have asked you to come along if we-"

The firebending prince had cut her off, " Then why do you all always seem to distance yourselves? I listen to the three of you talk about adventures you have had, and I realize I'm not included. It makes me wonder if…"

Katara reached out her hand and touched his shoulder. He was right, for the past two weeks they had been playing with Zuko saying he was someone they knew, which was true. However they had made him believe they had been friends before his accident. Katara was beginning to feel guilty over having shown Zuko a false smile when she first invited him to join the three of them in their travels to find Aang bending masters.

Taking a deep breath Katara built up the courage to final make a comment to Zuko's troubles, " You see Zuko… That is… We are afraid of you."

"Afraid of me? But why?"

"We have been worried that if you regain your memories to fast you might…" she didn't know how to finish telling him what she was too frightened to say.

"I might what?" Zuko turned and took Katara by the shoulders, "Tell me what you know! You are the only one that even seems to trust me in the smallest amount."

She began to feel scared. The tone he had used just reminded her of all the cruel encounters she had had with him in the past. The look on her face made Zuko feel sad that he could frighten her so much, but on the other hand the look on her face frustrated him. "What was she scared of? What would she tell him that would make her so frighten that she wouldn't reveal the smallest detail to him. If anything he would be grateful to her."

Suddenly a voice rang out, "HEY!"

The sound was like music to Katara's ears. She looked over her shoulder to see Aang standing with Sokka just beyond the bushes. Quickly Katara smiled at the two boys.

"What are you doing out here," Sokka asked in a huff.

Zuko began to speak first but was quickly cut off by Katara, " I was just showing Zuko some of my bending." She swiftly conjured a snake like stream of water that she made hover through the air then back in to the river.

"Next time tell me when you're going to be practicing! I still need to work on water bending." Aang said as he ran to Katara's side with a worshiping look in his eyes.

Katara smiled lovingly at the adorable boy, as if he were her own little brother. Something about that looks exchanged between the two annoyed Zuko. "I'm going to sleep," he said as he stormed off back to the campsite.

"We should all be sleeping," Sokka said with his arms crossed over his chest.

For the next few days Katara distanced herself when it came to talking or spending time with Zuko. She still felt bad about not telling him anything, but it was better that way wasn't it? She soon came around and was able to function normally. And Zuko never brought up anything about what had happen, as if it had never been a problem.

One night Aang and Zuko we concentrating on forming a large fire ball together. They sat a crossed from each other and their palms flatly facing the other. As the flame began to grow Sokka's voice interrupted, "Hey have you two gotten that fire lit yet?"

Both Aang and Zuko looked at the water tribe boy and raised an eyebrow, Zuko had taught Aang how to make that annoyed face. They lowered the flame to a pile of brush they had gathered and placed between them. Soon the campfire was lit and crackling away.

Later that evening Katara was serving dinner. She had just given Zuko his bowl, "You both have gotten so much better at firebending!"

"Yeah its kind of fun learning with Zuko," Aang chirped.

Zuko was also in a pleasant mood over the bending he and Aang been doing. "I have to admit learning it with someone else makes it a bit more tolerable. I can summon the fire effortlessly now." He raised his hand and a flame appeared and danced in his palm. Then he simply dismissed the red-orange heat and it burned itself out. He gave a smile to show he was pleased with himself.

Aang and Katara both laughed with joy for him. Sokka just sat there muttering, " Yeah we're all so happy. Soon he can burn us to a crisp with just a look!"

At that moment the campfire went out, and darkness surrounded the camp as well as another presence.

"Ok Zuko stop playing around," Sokka ordered.

"That wasn't me…"

"Uh-oh."

A/N: Well? Do you wonder what will happen or what? LOL.