Chapter 7: The Truth

Hey guys! Just wanted to say sorry for taking so long to update. I've been having especially long days at work and come home exhausted, so I haven't been able to get a lot of writing done lately. Hopefully this next chapter is worth the wait. Anyway, hope you're all doing well and staying safe!

Quick responses to reviews:

Benoc2004: Thanks! I'm glad that it's been better than you had expected. Hopefully this next chapter will be just as good.

TR13 Reader: Ha, yeah I figured it would shock some people. It absolutely killed me to write it, as Gyatso and Aang's father/son sort of relationship is one of my favorite parts of the show despite how little of it there is due to Gyatso being dead, but it needed to be done. Even if I definitely made what was going to happen way too obvious with his last words to Aang.

Lightningninja17: Thank you! I had thought about doing that, but I decided that it could wait one more chapter. Especially knowing how the previous chapter would end. Well, I don't want to spoil it, so I'll just let you find out for yourself. Hope you continue to like where I'm taking the story.

Bay45220: Thanks! And I agree. Gyatso was always one of my favorite characters even though he wasn't actually in the present time with Aang and the Gaang.

Ashley Barbosa: Yeah, I wasn't very happy about it either, but it's for the best. It'll make things a bit easier for the transition that Aang's about to go through. Don't worry. The storm will pass soon. At least one part of it, anyway.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

It had been a few hours since he and Katara had discovered his now deceased father's body lying on the couch. Despite knowing that his father wouldn't want him to be distressed over his passing, Aang couldn't help the tears that had poured down his face. Sure, he had been quite upset with his father for a long time for making them relocate so often for his job, but Aang had loved his father dearly. And now, seeing the horribly disfigured remains of his father laying there before him, all he felt was regret.

If only he had been more understanding of what his father had been going through. It had been clear from the beginning how his mother's death had affected him. Maybe if he had just tried to be more understanding and never said anything, maybe Gyatso would still be alive. Or if he hadn't decided to go see what Zuko had needed to talk to Katara about, maybe he could have helped his father to fend off whatever had attacked him. This was all his fault.

Had it not been for Katara comforting him over the last few hours, he was sure that he would have completely lost it. His father was the only real family he had left, and he didn't know what he would do without him. The loss being so great, Aang couldn't even remember what he had overheard in the forest, knowing that it was nowhere near as important as his most recent discovery. This was just as well, as he needed Katara at his side now more than ever.

Something that Katara was more than happy to provide. She knew the pain of losing close family members, especially when it was one's parents. Due to her knowledge of this, she decided that the best thing to do would be to hold him tight, allowing him to cry into her shoulder, not minding at all as he wetted her shirt with his tears. Experience had taught her that words were of little comfort in these types of situations, and that the best thing for her to do was just hold him close.

And though she wouldn't have minded holding him all night, Aang's tears had run dry after some time and the two had agreed that they should contact the police to report their findings. Katara had also decided to contact her family, knowing that Aang needed more than just her to be there for him at a time like this. Right now, he needed all the support he could get.

After making a couple phone calls, the two found themselves standing in the corner while the police investigated the room with the foster family respectfully waiting outside. The investigators had asked Aang many questions, and despite wanting to help them however he could to find out what happened, his heart had been too heavy to be of much help. Fortunately for him, Katara had been able to fill in where he had not been able to finish and the police had gotten the answers they needed.

While they finished up their investigation, Jeong Jeong quietly entered the house and made his way over to the young man who had suffered a great loss. "I am so sorry for your loss, Aang. I know these things are never easy," he attempted to comfort him, but Aang did not appear to find relief in his words.

But, knowing that Jeong Jeong was trying to be nice, Aang weakly replied. "Thank you. I just wish I knew what happened."

"Well, I might be able to help with that," the lead detective spoke as he walked over to them and let out a sigh. "Judging by the large claw marks and the current… condition of the body, it seems very likely that a wolf came in here looking for its next meal." Aang's eyes flashed in anger as he remembered what he had seen not too long ago, the memory of the wolf transforming replaying in his mind for a few moments before the detective continued. "Though it's strange. The wolf would have to have been very large if it was strong enough to bypass the front door, and it would have to have been starving to attack someone in their home. Most wolves don't venture beyond the woods."

Jeong Jeong and Katara shared a quick look, the exact same thought going through their minds. This isn't any ordinary wolf. The wolves that she had fought in the woods had clearly been starving, and she knew that they would have the advantage of being able to think as both a human and a wolf, meaning it could only be the new pack in town who could have done this. Knowing that it wouldn't be any good for them to voice these thoughts, Katara decided to ask. "So, what will happen now?"

"Will you go after it?" Aang asked, his eyes still burning with anger as he wondered if the wolves who had attacked him were the ones responsible for his father's death.

"I'm afraid not, son," the detective smiled apologetically as he shook his head. "It's too hard and risky to track them down. They know the terrain even better than we do, and they're too dangerous to deal with without getting professional hunters involved. If this becomes a recurring problem, however, then we'll have no choice."

Seeing the look of disappointment on Aang's face, he frowned and decided that he would do what he had to and get out of his hair. "Well, do you have somewhere you can stay? Do you have any family that can take care of you?"

"No, I don't," Aang shook his head sadly, knowing that his family was truly all gone. "My grandparents are all gone and my father was an only child. My mother died giving birth to me."

Before the officer could think to say anything, Jeong Jeong stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, officer, but Aang is more than welcome to stay at our home. We live right across the street."

Turning to Aang, the officer asked. "Do you know these people?"

"Yes. This is my girlfriend, Katara," he answered as he gestured to the girl who was still holding onto him before gesturing to Jeong Jeong. "And this is her foster dad."

Seeing that this was likely the best option for the young man, the officer nodded. "Okay. You can go with them until we figure out what to do." With that settled, he then gathered his fellow detectives and walked out of the house, leaving the three of them with the EMTs who were currently putting the remains in a body bag.

Still not being satisfied with how the investigation had gone, but knowing there wasn't much he could do about it, Aang turned to Jeong Jeong and said. "Thank you for allowing me to stay with you."

"Of course, Aang," Jeong Jeong assured him as he put a hand on his shoulder. "Come. Let's get you home so you can get some rest."

"Would it be alright if I grabbed my things from my room before we go?"

"Go right ahead," Jeong Jeong agreed, his smile dropping as he watched Aang disappear out of sight before turning to Katara. "This is not good."

"I know, Jeong Jeong," Katara sighed, her heart broken from seeing the look on Aang's face when he had first discovered what was left of his father. "But what can we do? Aang needs us right now."

"I was not referring to Aang's living arrangements," he whispered as quietly as he could, knowing that she would still be able to hear him. "You know that he is welcome to stay with us. I only mean that if he is going to be staying with us, he will figure out who you are sooner or later. You must tell him now."

Katara grew silent for a few moments, but after some thought, she reluctantly nodded. "I will, but not tonight." When it looked like Jeong Jeong was about to argue, she quickly continued. "He's been through enough for today, Jeong Jeong. Let him get some rest and give him some time to mourn. He's not going to take it well if we tell him right now."

"I suppose you are right," Jeong Jeong mused as he rubbed his pointy beard in thought. "Fine. But we must tell him soon, Katara. This secret has been kept for too long as it is. You won't be able to hide who you are forever."

Her eyes squeezing shut, Katara sighed and nodded. "Trust me, Jeong Jeong. I know." The two remained silent for a few moments, not knowing what else to say. This whole thing was truly a horrific incident, and they both could feel the pain resonating from Aang even now.

Not too long later, Aang came back down with a duffel bag filled with his things and took a look around the room, his eyes landing on the EMT's as they rolled his father's remains on a gurney out of the house. Doing his best not to let the tears fall again as he watched them take away his only family, he watched until they had made it out the door before forcing himself to look away.

Knowing that thinking about it wouldn't help anything, he forced himself to focus on his surroundings and found his eyes looking at the large claw marks on the table, his eyes narrowing as he remembered what he had seen. Making himself take a deep breath, he made sure that Katara and Jeong Jeong were busy talking before taking out his phone and snapping a quick picture.

With that taken care of, he slipped his phone back in his pocket and walked back over to them. "Okay. I'm ready."

"Good. You'll need to get plenty of rest," Jeong Jeong told him as he opened the door for him and allowed the two to walk out before he followed them out. As they walked off of the porch, they were greeted by the sight of the rest of their foster family.

It was Sokka who first offered his condolences, surprising Aang a little. "I'm sorry about what happened, Aang. I know it's not easy." Aang could see the clear pain in his eyes, and looking over to his girlfriend, saw the same pain in hers as he wondered what exactly had happened to them in their past. Maybe they had lost their parents, too.

Deciding not to dwell on this thought at the moment, Aang replied. "Thank you. I just can't believe he's actually… gone."

"It'll get easier with time," Zuko spoke up as he put a comforting hand on his shoulder, not knowing what exactly to do in this situation, but putting in the effort anyway.

"It doesn't feel like it will," Aang muttered, almost to himself as he looked down at his feet.

"It will," Suki finally decided to voice her thoughts, making Aang look up in surprise. He had yet to hear anything from her, Toph, or Azula yet, and it was a bit surprising to finally put a voice to the face. "Trust me. We all know what it's like to lose someone we love."

Looking around all of their faces and seeing the same pain that he assumed must have been on his, he decided that she was right and let out a sigh. "I guess so," was all he could think to say in reply, his heart still heavy from all that had happened that night.

"Come," Jeong Jeong broke the silence that had fallen between them after a few moments as he motioned for Aang to follow. "Let's get you set up so you can get some rest." Aang wordlessly nodded and followed him as he led the way back to their house, with Katara still clinging onto him as they made their way to the house.

Waiting a few moments for them to get inside, Zuko saw the door close behind them and then turned to the remaining members of his foster family. "This isn't good."

"What gave it away?" Toph asked with a sarcastic snort accompanied by a roll of her eyes. "Was it the body that they carted out of here or the fact that Katara's boyfriend is now an orphan?"

"I'm not talking about that," Zuko growled in reply, but forced himself to calm down. It wasn't their fault that Jin had broken up with him, and he wasn't going to take it out on them. Even if their situation just appeared to be getting worse by the hour. "If this other pack is willing to attack someone in their homes, then no one here is safe."

"So let's stop them!" Suki smiled as she stood up straighter, a new sense of purpose in her eyes as she looked at all of them. "We can take them."

"We're still outnumbered, Suki," Zuko reminded her, making her deflate a little as she realized that he was right. "Besides, even if we weren't, they might all be more experienced than us. If we want to have any chance of winning, we'll need more help."

Silence overtook the group as they thought about what they could do to even the odds against their foes. This wasn't easy, however, as this would be the first time they would actually fight to stay for their home. Granted, they had all been in many fights over the many years they had spent traveling the world, but this was different. When they fought this time, they would fight until their last breath. There would be no retreat, no reinforcements. Only victory or death.

"If your girlfriend and Katara's boyfriend join us, we'd have a better chance," Toph mused aloud as she thought about it, earning a shocked look from Suki.

"Toph! His father just died and you're thinking about recruiting him?" Suki asked incredulously, making Toph roll her eyes.

"I'm not saying we do it now, but maybe after he's had a little time to get over it," Toph answered her a bit crudely, once again making them all marvel at her bluntness. Seeing the looks on their faces, she shrugged and said. "What? We've all lost someone and we all got over it, didn't we?"

"Not all of us," Sokka muttered as he looked back over to the house, remembering how his sister had been haunted by the death of their parents for years. Even now she still wasn't fully over it, and he was fairly certain she never would be. Deciding not to think about this for the moment, he turned back to Toph and then continued. "In a way, Toph's right. They're probably our best shot. But we're not going to tell them yet. Give Aang some time to grieve and we'll see where we're at."

Zuko was a little surprised as he heard this. Sure, he knew that Sokka could be a capable leader when he wanted to be, but seeing him like this was still fairly new to him. Deciding that he was right, he then nodded his agreement. "Sokka's right. As much as I want to tell Jin right now, it's not the right time. We'll give Aang some time to grieve and then we'll tell them who we are."

"You're not worried you'll lose Jin?" Suki asked carefully, knowing that this was still a touchy subject for him despite all that had happened that day.

"I already did," Zuko shrugged, his eyes downcast as he tried not to think about what had happened earlier. "If she won't take me back, then at least I'll have done everything I could, and that's all I can really do." They all fell silent, not knowing what to say. Truly, this day had turned out to be bad for them all.

After a few moments of silence, it was Azula who finally spoke. "Well, this day has been long enough as it is. Let's go home and get some rest." They all couldn't help but be a bit surprised by this. Sure, Azula wasn't exactly evil, but she was certainly the last person in their group that would be expected to care about the others. But, it was clear that they were all a family, even if some of them would never admit it out loud.

Seeing that she was right, they all nodded their agreement and made their way back home, knowing that there was still a lot left that they needed to figure out.

A week later, they all found themselves at the town's cemetery. They knew that Aang shouldn't have to go through this alone, and had agreed to attend his father's funeral to support him. Katara of course was right at his side, being the only thing that was truly keeping him together as he watched his father's casket be lowered into the ground.

It had not been an easy time for any of them since the night his father had been murdered. Not that they minded having him there, least of all Katara who was happy to have an excuse to be with him all day, even if she wished that it could have been under better circumstances. The only problem they found was that it was hard for them to conceal the other side of their true natures with him living with them. They had never had a regular human live with them before other than Jeong Jeong, and it had truly been a challenge to act like a normal household.

Thanks to their efforts, they had managed to make it work, and Aang had been none the wiser. Not that this had been too difficult, as he had not left Katara's room for much of the time he had been staying with them. Besides, they all knew from experience that small details didn't matter when dealing with the loss of a loved one.

As the casket finally reached the bottom of the hole, the priest began his final message and Zuko heard the sound of footsteps behind him. Waiting for a moment, he became surprised as he felt someone tap on his shoulder and turned around, his eyes widening in complete shock as he saw Jin standing there.

Unable to believe his eyes, he couldn't help but sputter out. "J-jin?"

Smiling weakly as she saw the surprise on his face, she didn't say a word and threw her arms around him, making him instantly feel better as he hugged her back. "I'm sorry," she whispered in his ear, making him breathe out in relief as he held her tighter. "I know you're hiding something from me, but after hearing what happened to Aang's dad… Life is too short to waste any time. I'm sorry I broke up with you."

"It's okay," he assured her, just being relieved that she was talking to him at all. "I understand."

Pulling away from the hug for a moment, she looked him in the eyes and held him by his shoulders. "But if we're going to do this, there cannot be any more secrets between us, Zuko. I don't want to spend the rest of our relationship wondering what you're hiding from me."

Seeing the wary but hopeful look in her eyes, Zuko let out a sigh and nodded. "I know, and you're right. I never wanted to keep it from you, but it's… complicated." Jin raised a brow at him, but he just shook his head. "It doesn't matter. If you can wait until tonight, then we'll tell both of you."

"Both of you?" Jin echoed in confusion, not understanding who else he was referring to.

"Aang needs to know, too," Zuko explained, making her wonder what exactly it was that their family was hiding. Even if she knew that she would find out later what it was. "But not right now. Right now…" He paused and looked over to the other couple, seeing Katara doing her best to comfort Aang as tears fell down his face. "Right now, Aang needs to let it out."

Jin nodded her agreement, following his eyes and seeing what he was seeing. "You're right. It can wait until tonight." Zuko gave her a grateful smile, and she gave him a small smile back. "Come on, let's go talk to him. He needs all the family he can get right now."

"You're right," he agreed, being relieved that Jin was giving him a second chance. He had thought that he would have to beg Jin to hear him out, and here she was. Though he wanted to be happy, he knew that it wasn't the best time to show his joy and put on a solemn face as Jin took his hand and led him over to the other couple.

"Hi, Aang," Jin greeted him with a sad smile, seeing the deep look of pain on his face as they turned around to face them. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Wiping a few tears from his eyes, Aang cleared his throat and put on a weak smile. "Thank you," was all he could get out, his voice hoarse from the lack of speaking over the last week.

Understanding that he probably wasn't in much of a talking mood, Jin gave him a quick hug and gave Katara a small smile before she and Zuko moved away, leaving the two of them there. Katara, seeing him trying to hold back more tears, squeezed his hand and whispered to him. "Aang?"

After a few moments of silence, he brokenly whispered back. "I'm sorry. I know that I haven't been all here since last week-"

"Aang, stop," Katara gently interrupted him, taking his face in her hand and forcing him to look at her. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about. You have nothing to apologize for." She looked down at her feet as a sad look came over her face. "Trust me. I know what it's like to lose your parents."

Looking up at her, he couldn't help but be a little comforted by knowing that she knew what he was going through. Everyone else had offered him condolences when they had greeted him, but she and her brother were the only ones who hadn't, and somehow that had been better than hearing them apologize to him. All these apologies did was make him feel the pain more, and he was grateful that they had chosen not to do the same.

Though, as he looked at her sorrowful face, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her parents. Clearly, something bad must have happened for them to end up in a foster family, but they had never talked about what had happened to her family. And although he found himself to be curious to hear what happened, he knew that it was best not to open up an old wound.

Instead, he wiped away the rest of his tears and kissed her cheek, making her smile a little as she looked up at him. "You're right. And I do trust you," he whispered back to her, her smiling growing a little as she met his eyes. "If you say it'll get better, then it will get better."

Feeling her heart swell up with love for him, she gently took his face in her hands and brought him into a short kiss, knowing that now was not the time for what she really wanted to do. Once they pulled apart, Aang turned back to watch as the grave digger began filling in the plot and let out a deep sigh. "I love you, dad," he murmured, being sure that his father was watching him from heaven.

Knowing that his heart couldn't take much more of this, he turned back to Katara and put on a weak smile. "Okay. I'm ready to go home." Katara gave him a smile back and squeezed his hand, leading the way as the rest of their family followed suit. It was clear that Aang was starting to finally let go, and knowing what she had agreed with Jeong Jeong, she knew that it was time. Tonight, she would tell Aang who they were. No matter how much she was scared that he would reject them.

The time between the funeral and the night that proceeded it went by far too quickly for Katara and Zuko's liking. Sure, they both were confident that their partners truly cared for them, but there was always going to be a risk in revealing to them who they were. Even if they knew that it would have to be done eventually.

This did not mean it was going to be easy for them, however, least of all for Zuko. He had just gotten Jin back, and he just might have been about to lose her again. But, knowing there wasn't much he could do about it, he took a deep breath and looked around.

His family, knowing that it was time, had all gathered in their large living room and were waiting for Jin's arrival. All except for Katara, who was still upstairs comforting Aang. Though she had made it clear that they would be down as soon as she heard Jin enter the house.

Hearing a knock on the door, Zuko's eyes widened and his heart began to race as he realized that it was time. Though he very much wanted to abandon what he was about to do, he knew that there was no getting around it and forced himself to take a calming breath. It was now or never, and he wasn't going to let Jin go without at least giving it his best effort.

With a new determination in mind, he stood up and walked over to the door, being greeted by Jin's familiar face as she waved to him. "Hi. May I come in?"

"Of course," Zuko told her as he held the door open for her, making her smile a little as she walked in and looked around the room. As he closed the door, he noticed that she had seen his family gathered around the living room and saw the look of apprehension on her face.

"This is serious, huh?" she nervously whispered to him, wondering just what it was that they had been keeping a secret from her and Aang. Though, the more she thought about all that had happened lately, she couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with what Aang had seen in the woods.

"I wish it wasn't," Zuko admitted with a frown before shaking his head. "Come on. Let's take a seat."

As the two sat in the nearby loveseat, Katara and Aang came walking down the stairs and made it to the living room, though Aang noticeably had a look of confusion on his face as Katara led him to the other loveseat and took their seats as well.

Seeing that it was time, Zuko cleared his throat and looked at the two outsiders. "Jin, Aang, thank you both for coming," he began awkwardly, not knowing how he should go about doing this. Sokka was the only one who had revealed their family's secret to someone else before. This was brand new territory for him. "So, about what we need to tell you guys-"

"Wait," Aang interrupted as politely as he could, knowing that whatever this was likely was important, but knowing that he had kept his thoughts in his head for too long. He trusted Katara, and if she trusted her family, then he would trust them, too. "Before you say anything, I have to get something off my chest."

The whole room grew silent as they looked at him, waiting for him to continue as he took a deep breath. "I haven't told anyone but Jin about this, and I'm sorry that I haven't said anything to you about this," he added to Katara as he saw a look of hurt come across her face. "But I saw something on the day that we were attacked by those wolves in the woods."

A pin dropping on the ground could be heard in the room from how quiet it was as they all waited for him to share his thoughts, and after a few moments of clear inner struggle, he finally got out. "When we were being chased by those wolves, I saw something that I probably shouldn't have. I…" he squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that what he was about to say would likely sound ridiculous. "I saw one of them crash into a tree and turn into a human."

If it had been quiet before, then it was absolutely noiseless as they all looked at him, the surprise on their faces betraying their inner thoughts. All except Azula, of course, who looked like she couldn't care less. Seeing the looks on their faces, he then continued. "I know, I know, it sounds crazy," he sighed as he looked down at his feet. "But I know what I saw. And look!" Taking out his phone, he quickly went to his phone's camera album and showed them the picture of the claw marks on the table. "These claw marks are too big to be from a regular wolf."

"What are you saying, Aang?" Jin asked with a raised brow, having known what he had seen prior but still being confused as to what he was suggesting.

"I don't know what I'm saying," Aang admitted with a shrug. "But the wolves that attacked us were much bigger than any wolf I've ever seen. And the claw marks on the table are too big to be from anything else." He looked down at his feet and shook his head. "I don't know what I saw, but… I know that whatever killed my dad wasn't just a wolf."

Sharing a look of agreement with Zuko, Katara cleared her throat and looked at Aang. "Aang, what we have to tell you guys might be able to help," she reluctantly told him, earning a look of confusion and apprehension from him.

"What do you mean?" he asked warily.

"Before we tell you, can I ask you something?" Katara asked gently, seeing Aang nod before taking a deep breath. "Why didn't you tell me about what you saw?"

Pausing for a few moments, he looked down at his feet and finally answered. "Ever since I moved here, I could tell there was something… different about you guys," he admitted, making Katara worry as she wondered if he already knew their secret. "I didn't know what it was, and I still don't, but I can feel some kind of… darkness from you guys. Jin's the only one I didn't feel this from, so I told her what I saw."

Though she was glad it wasn't for another reason that he had kept this mostly to himself, she couldn't help but let out a sigh as she knew that there was no more delaying it. It was time for them to know. "Well, that… darkness you felt? You didn't imagine it."

"What do you mean by that?" Jin spoke up as she looked at them both with wide eyes before looking at Zuko. "What's going on, Zuko?"

Seeing that there was nothing left to hide, Zuko shut his eyes and finally said. "My family and I… We're werewolves," he finally got out, refusing to look at the girl next to him as he waited for her to run away from him.

There was pure silence in the room for a few moments, the shock on Jin and Aang's faces on full display for them to see as their jaws dropped. The silence from them killed Zuko and Katara, but after waiting several more moments, Aang finally managed to weakly get out. "What?"

Katara smiled sadly as she looked at him, her fear at an all time high as she tried her best not to panic at the look of complete and utter surprise on his face. "We're werewolves, Aang," she told him gently, hoping that by being calm with him, he would be calm as well. "We're all part of a pack."

"You… You're all werewolves?" Jin couldn't help but ask in disbelief, looking around the room and watching as they all nodded. Suddenly, so many things made sense. The way that they seemed to move as if they were a team. How they had almost never left each other's side. How everyone in the town had known that they weren't normal.

"We are," Zuko spoke again after another few moments of silence. "Well, except for Jeong Jeong. He's not part of our pack." Jeong Jeong awkwardly waved to them both, but neither of them had enough sense in their heads at the moment to respond. Seeing the looks on their faces, Zuko then said. "Look, I know this is a lot to take in-"

"So, you're saying that it was a werewolf that murdered my father?" Aang said suddenly as he stood up, anger quickly gathering in his eyes as he stared him down. "You're saying that it was one of your kind that is responsible for my dad being dead?" Tears gathered in his eyes. "For ripping my him to shreds? How do I know it wasn't one of you who killed him?"

Katara, seeing the look of hatred on his face, knew that he wasn't going to accept them and felt her emotions get out of control, standing up quickly with tears pouring down her face before running out of the room towards the backdoor. Aang felt bad about this, but his anger was at an all time high, and all he could think about was the sight of his horribly mutilated father's corpse laying on the couch in front of him as he walked in.

"We didn't kill your father, Aang," Zuko tried to assure him, but the look on Aang's face made it clear that he didn't believe him just yet. "Trust me-"

"I don't trust you!" Aang yelled, his rage getting the best of him for a moment before he forced himself to calm down, if only a little. "You're telling me that you're all werewolves, and that none of you had anything to do with his death? What other werewolves are in this town?!"

"There weren't before a few weeks ago," Zuko admitted as he put on a solemn face, doing his best to make peace with him if it was possible. "We were the only pack in town until the wolves who attacked you came. You saw them. They were starving." He looked Aang in the eyes, putting on the most serious and apologetic look he could. "Our pack had nothing to do with your father's death, Aang. I swear."

Though his anger was still great, he could tell by the look on his face and the sincerity in his voice that he was telling the truth, and finally allowed himself to calm down. "Okay, I believe you," Aang finally said after a few moments of silence, though he still couldn't help but feel a bit angry with them. For what reason, he didn't know, but he decided to put it aside for the moment. "I'm sorry for getting angry."

"I'm not the one who needs to hear your apology," Zuko told him simply, making Aang's eyes widen in realization as he remembered his girlfriend who had run out of the room. Knowing what he needed to do, he nodded and followed the path that Katara had taken outside, leaving the rest of them to sit there in silence.

"So… You're a werewolf?" Jin couldn't help but ask in shock, unbelieving that what Aang had seen was actually right. Zuko reluctantly nodded, seeing the look of fear and hesitation on her face. "I… I'm in love with a werewolf?" she asked herself in surprise, making the others' eyes widen, especially that of Zuko's. He had not expected her to have been in love with him already, but he couldn't deny that he loved her, too.

Deciding not to dwell on this for the moment, he gathered up what courage he had left and asked. "Jin, what are you thinking?"

"I… I don't know," she admitted as she looked down at her feet, taking a deep breath before she met his eyes. "So you guys are werewolves." They nodded again, making her frown thoughtfully. "But you're not… evil werewolves, right?"

"No, we're not," he assured her with a gentle smile.

"Well, Azula's iffy, but…" Sokka broke in, earning a snarl from the girl in question as the smirk on his face quickly disappeared. Being satisfied with this, Azula smirked and crossed one leg over the other and picked up a magazine to read.

Taking all of this in, Jin thought for a few moments before looking back up to Zuko. "So, this is the secret that you and Katara kept from us? That you're werewolves?"

"Yes," he told her with a little more confidence as he saw that she wasn't running away from them, even if he knew there was still a good chance she would reject them. "I know it's a lot to take in, but… I love you, Jin," he reluctantly admitted, making her smile a little as she saw the unease on his face. "And I'll understand if you don't want anything to do with me-"

He became cut off as her lips landed on his, making his eyes widen in surprise as he looked to see that she had thrown her arms around his neck. Deciding not to question why she had done this, he kissed her back for a few moments before she pulled away and looked into his eyes.

"Zuko, I love you," she told him with a gentle smile. "And though I'm… surprised to hear what you and your family are, it doesn't change how I feel about you."

Unable to keep the look of surprise off of his face, he couldn't help but ask. "Really?" Giggling a little, she nodded, making him sigh in relief as he hugged her. "Thank you," he told her with the beginnings of a smile on his face.

"No problem," she murmured back to him, being relieved that everything was out in the open now and that they could move on. Once their hug finally ended, she pulled back and looked at him with a question on her face. "So, what happens now?"

Smiling nervously, Zuko cleared his throat and answered. "Well… Do you know what a mate is?"

"A mate?" Jin asked in confusion, watching as Zuko nodded while she pondered over this. "You mean like a soulmate?"

"Kind of," Zuko agreed, although she could tell there was more to it than just that. "For werewolves, a mate is like a soulmate, except that soulmates are a human term. Werewolves are both, so it's like your life partner."

"Oh," Jin said in understanding, nodding before tilting her head curiously. "So like a husband or wife, but for werewolves." Zuko nodded. "Okay. What about it?"

"Well… uh…" Zuko smiled sheepishly as he looked at her. "I kind of… think of you as my mate."

Jin's face took on a deep blush as she finally realized what this meant, her only reply being another small. "Oh."

"And if you want to, you could join our pack," Zuko finally finished, looking at her hopefully as he waited for her response.

"You mean… you want me to become one of you?" Jin asked, to which he nodded again. Thinking about it for a few moments as his pulse raced, she looked back up to him and continued. "Well, would I have to leave my parents?"

"No, not at all," he assured her. "If you do join us, you can still live with them. When you change, you stop aging, so you'll look the same way for the rest of our lives, so that might tip them off as time goes by, but I'm sure we can figure something out to convince them it's normal."

"Wait, you're saying that you guys are… immortal?" she couldn't help but ask in surprise, looking at them all as they nodded. "So, you can't die?"

"Oh, we can die," Sokka told her as he stretched and yawned. "But not from old age or anything. Pretty cool, right?"

A thought came to mind as Jin took this in. "What about kids? Can you still have kids as a werewolf?" she asked worriedly, knowing that she had always wanted to since she was a kid.

Zuko frowned as he heard this, remembering how she had discussed this with him before she had broken up with him. "No, we can't," he regrettably told her, making her frown as well as she thought on this. After several moments of silence, she looked back up to him and saw the hopeful look in his eyes and, knowing in her heart what she really wanted, she finally said.

"Okay, I'll join your pack."

Unbelieving what his ears appeared to be hearing, he responded. "You… you will?" Seeing the look of utter surprise on his face, she laughed and nodded. "Are you sure?" he couldn't help but ask, not wanting to change her mind, but knowing that he at least had to try. "What about you wanting to have kids? I can't make you-"

"You're not making me do anything, Zuko," she assured him as she put a finger over his lips. "I do want to have kids, but… I want to be with you more, Zuko. And that's all that really matters to me."

Being silent for a few moments, Zuko reluctantly asked. "Are you sure?" Jin just laughed and gave him another kiss, making him truly smile for the first time in a long time as he kissed her back. Suki smiled seeing this, being happy for their friend while the rest of them made disgusted faces. Once they finally pulled apart, Jin gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm sure, Zuko. I want to be with you," she told him, making him smile as he hugged her again, in turn making her smile grow as she held him.

"Well, this truly has been wonderful to watch," Azula said in a sarcastic tone as she set her magazine down and stood up. "But I think I've had enough of these niceties for the day. I'm going to my room." Turning to Jin, she then said. "Welcome to the pack. Do feel free to mess with my brother as you see fit." And with that she went upstairs, leaving the rest of them there.

Smiling a little as she saw this, she turned back to Zuko and gave him a questioning look. "I don't have to… transform right now, though, right?"

"Of course not," Zuko assured her, making her sigh in relief. "Whenever you're ready." Feeling relieved as Jin took his hand in hers, he couldn't help but wonder how it was going with Aang and Katara.

Aang, feeling bad for making Katara run off, quickly walked out the backdoors while the others talked, knowing that he owed her an apology. Werewolf or not, he still cared for her, and he was going to tell her that he still wanted to be with her. Taking a look outside, he heard the sound of snarling coming from nearby and tensed, thinking he was going to be attacked when he looked around and saw no evidence of a wolf.

"Katara?" he called out as he took a step off of the deck, looking around for where she might have gone. He really hoped she hadn't gone into the woods, as he was not eager for a rematch with the wolves who had attacked him. "Are you out here?"

Seeing some movement out of the corner of his eye, he turned to look just in time to see a large, blue wolf come out from behind the shed, making his eyes widen as he realized who it must have been. "Katara? Is that you?" he asked gently, hearing a whimper elicit from the wolf as it peeked out from around the corner.

Forcing himself to take a deep breath to calm himself from how crazy everything seemed to be right now, he then said. "I'm sorry, Katara. I didn't mean to get angry. I just… after figuring out that it was a werewolf who killed my father and then finding out that you guys are werewolves, I…" His eyes squeezed shut in shame. "I'm sorry I freaked out. Can you forgive me?"

Watching as she finally came out from around the shed and walked up to him, he waited as she sat down and looked up at him. Not knowing what to do, he reached out a hand to her and became surprised as she nuzzled it with her face. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?" he asked, wondering how in the world he had ended up falling in love with a werewolf of all people.

Becoming surprised as he saw her quickly morph, his eyes widened as he saw her naked form before him, his eyes landing on her large breasts that were right in front of him. "Of course I forgive you, Aang," she told him as she hugged him, chuckling a little she felt something poke her thigh before pulling away from the hug. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it."

"I… I don't think I'll ever get used to that," Aang said in a mix of embarrassment and amazement as he gestured to her beautiful form, not allowing his eyes to wander below her stomach as he knew that it would do him no good to do so.

Giggling again, she smiled endearingly at him and became a bit nervous as she prepared herself for what she would ask next. "Aang… do you… do you love me?" she asked as she nervously bit her lip.

Looking up at her, he looked into her eyes and felt himself melting as he told her with all honesty. "I do. I love you, Katara." Smiling as she heard this, she threw her arms around his neck and sunk her lips into his, making him smile as he kissed her back for a few moments.

When they finally pulled apart, Katara leaned her head against his and couldn't keep a wide smile off her face. "I love you too, Aang." He smiled as well, being relieved that she felt the same as he did, despite his recent explosion of anger that he deeply regretted.

"So… where does that leave us?"

Taking on a look of confusion, Katara asked. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know a lot about werewolves, but I know from the stories I've heard that they don't usually date humans," he chuckled a little, making her laugh as well. "At least, not without changing them into a werewolf, too."

Biting her lip as she pondered over how to answer this, she finally decided on just being honest. "Well, I would be lying if I said I didn't want you to join our pack, but I'm just happy right now that you don't hate me."

"Why would I hate you?" Aang couldn't help but ask in confusion, making Katara frown as she looked away from him.

"Because it was one of my kind who killed your father," she whispered, the pain in her voice clear as she avoided his eyes. "I thought that you would never want to see me again."

Feeling ashamed of himself once more, Aang gently took her face and turned her to look at him. "I shouldn't have freaked out like that, and I definitely shouldn't have taken it out on you or your family. And I am so sorry for that. But nothing you could say or do would make me hate you, Katara. I hope you know that."

Unable to hold back a smile, Katara gave him another kiss before pulling back. "Well, I do now," she told him with a grin, making him laugh as she squeezed him tightly. "But it's definitely nice to hear. Thank you, Aang."

"So…" Aang began after a few moments of silently holding each other. "This… changing process. Do we have to do it now?"

"No, we don't have to do it now," Katara assured him quickly. "We can do it whenever you want to. That is, if you want to join us."

Looking into her eyes and seeing the hope shining in them, he smiled and gave her a kiss. "I do. I'll join you guys. Just maybe not tonight, if that's okay? Today's been a long enough day as it is."

"Of course it's okay," she reassured him, being happy that he wasn't rejecting her as she had feared he would. "Whenever you're ready, Aang." Watching as his eyes strayed against his will back down to her chest and widened again, she giggled and took his hand. "Come on. Let's get back inside so I can get some clothes on."

"Okay," Aang agreed distractedly, feeling like a total pervert for staring but being unable to stop himself as he watched her. Being amused by his fixation with her, she allowed him another few moments to look before leading him back inside, feeling happy and content with how things had turned out.

So happy, in fact, that she hadn't even noticed the pair of yellow eyes peering out of the dark of the woods, nor did she hear the snarl before the eyes vanished into the darkness while she and Aang went to rejoin her family, not knowing that they had much bigger problems to face than ever before.