Chapter Five

Disclaimer: Omg I don't own avatah.

She plunged deeper into the sea as Zuko's soldiers stumbled over each other to save her. It wasn't the smartest thing on her part; but it got her out of Zuko's grasp, but into a new grasp; the grasp of a watery-grave. That was when it rolled through her mind..she wondered..did Zuko plan to save her? The crew members maybe; but did Zuko? He never acted like he cared; while at the same time he probably didn't.

They watched as they lost sight of her body in the water. Zuko's crew paniced and tried to find a way to get her out. Zuko clenched his fists and started shedding himself of his armor.

"Be ready with a rope!" He ordered. They all nodded and watched as Zuko dove in after her. After that they scrambled for a rope. Zuko pushed his way through the water; searching for her. He could see her long brown hair flying wildly in the water; so he swam towards it. She looked only half conscious. He grabbed her by her arm and swung her around so he had a hold of her. Damn her..Zuko thought as he swam for the surface; which seemed so far away. He felt her arms around his neck tighten; and hold on for dear life.

His crew waited to see if Zuko would come back. They all hoped he'd come back with Chan; and no one would be lost at sea. The ship had stopped to wait for them; and soon; they saw Zuko's head come up from the ocean; with Chan hanging onto his neck. Zuko swam with one free hand to the rope they had dropped into the ocean; and wrapped it around his wrist.

"Bring up the rope!" someone yelled on deck. The rope began to come back onto the deck; and as it did, Chan coughed some water back into the ocean. Zuko put his foot on the railing of the deck and fell onto the deck. Letting Chan go and coughing himself. His uncle ran to his side as the others surrounded both him and Chan. Chan was catching her breath along with Zuko; Zuko had been looking down at the deck; and then up at Chan. As if as quick as Chan's fall; he grew mad.

"You-" She could see fire in his eyes ignite. He stood up and went to attack her; but his uncle held him back. "You ruined my mom's dress! Ruined it!" It was true; the dress was almost completely ruined. The salt water had ruined it. "I let you wear my mom's dress and you go and ruin it! It isn't yours so what do you care? Go ahead and ruin it! Ruin the only thing I've got to hold onto of my mom!" Chan saw Zuko struggle away from his uncle; and just look at Chan. He didn't say anything else; he just stormed off to his room; dripping wet. Iroh watched his nephew walk off; and then went to Chan's aid.

"He hates me..right?" Iroh was quiet; normally he'd say "No Chan, he doesn't hate you." But this time he just didn't know. Zuko's mom was the only one who understood his pain. Having to fight for everything; his mother understood it. Zuko's mom was almost his best friend.

"Chan, maybe you should go change. Go grab a hot bath or something. I'll talk to him." Chan nodded and scrambled to her feet.

Iroh knocked on Zuko's door.

"Go away." Zuko boomed at him. His voice cracked. Iroh sighed and opened the door anyway. Zuko was changing out of his wet clothes and into some dry ones. "I said go away."

"Chan thinks you hate her."

"I do." Zuko snapped at his uncle. Grabbing onto his pony tail and reining the water out of it. "I risk my life for that damned woman and she goes and ruin the only thing of mom's that I've got left." Iroh put a hand on his nephew's shoulder; in hopes that he will calm down and hear him out.

"She didn't mean to. Zuko; she wouldn't have if she had a-"

"a-what? A choice? She's the one that jumped into the ocean! I didn't tell her to! No one told her to!"

"Zuko the girl was running away; you scared her and she ran, that is her natural reaction to someone chasing her." Iroh protested. Zuko wasn't hearing him out like he wanted; when Zuko get's angry; he knows that Zuko thinks whatever he says is right and the other person is wrong, even when it isn't. Zuko stayed quiet; and soon Iroh found it useless to talk to him. Soon; Iroh just left Zuko to be alone like he wanted.

When he exited the room; he saw Chan wearing her earth kingdom clothes; and holding the dress in her arms.

"Can I- talk to him I mean?" Iroh looked back at the door; then at Chan.

"I don't think so. He's mad, and he says things he doesn't mean when he's mad; so I think it would be best to stay clear of him until he cools off." Chan was silent; then nodded. Iroh walked off to grab himself a cup of tea; but when he offered some to Chan; she shook her head. Chan looked at the door and sighed; then walked back to her room and decided to leave Zuko be.

Zuko sat infrount of his candles meditating.The flame of his anger had cooled; but not much. He wondered to himself if he had overreacted or not; while at the same time he knew that he didn't. His mother was the only person who understood Zuko's having to fight harder than anyone to get what he wanted. While Azula; like Ozai; had gotten what she wanted when she wanted and never had to fight for it. He always seemed to fall behind; Azula was stronger than him; she was smarter and Ozai liked her better. His mother was always someone whom he could cry to and wouldn't be called weak. It was times like these he wished he could turn to her and ask her what to do at this point. He wanted to have her treat him like her baby boy again; and hear that things won't turn out as bad as they seem. His uncle was good company but his uncle was neutral. Zuko and his mother were one in the same; Azula and Ozai were one in the same; while Iroh was in both sides. He had to fight sometimes; while at the same time it worked out easily. Now; it seemed less about the dress; and more about missing his mother.

Chan sat in her room with the dress put away in the wardrobe. It wasn't as ruined as Zuko thought it was; but still she could understand why she was hated by him now. She never felt so afraid of any one person before. Some of her was still shaken up about the near drowning; which was what some of that fear was. She had skipped out on the hot bath that Iroh said that would be nice; it did sound nice but not what she wanted. Zuko probably only saved her because of his mother's dress; but somehow; that didn't seem like it to her.If that was the case; she wondered if he would just have taken the dress with him instead of Chan too. But he took her and the dress. So she thought he wanted to save her. Whatever the reason; he saved her; and now he was mad.

yay I finally updated :D only 2 more weeks and 4 more days of school left!