I am sorry it's been so long! I'm still writing I promise.

Rating T?

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"So, where is he?" To hell with composure this man knew where his uncle was and was acting as if nothing was wrong. Zuko was going to lose his temper soon. The man smiled.

"Do not worry Fire Lord, general Iroh is safe. We have a spy that informed us of the plan to kidnap Iroh and we got to him and left mere minutes before the Ozai supporters arrived. He is currently in a safe house in the middle ring." The man smiled as Zuko let out a sigh of relief. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you know I was a member of the white lotus" The man seemed genuinely interested. Katana intervened.

"We have some friends that are very informed as to what is happening in the city. They actually might be good informants if you want more eyes and ears." She said. The man calmly bowed.

"That would be most helpful. Give the information to Iroh and he will decide what he thinks is best. As the reference is from you I am sure your friends will be welcomed and appreciated." This was all fine and good but Zuko wanted to find his uncle.

"Where exactly is my uncle? I need to see him before I can return to the Fire Nation, and I would like to get back as soon as possible." He was trying to keep his cool. Based on the look Katara gave him he wasn't succeeding.

"Of course, he is in an apartment above The Lion Turtle Bakery." He must be loving that, Zuko thought.

"Thank you for your help," Katara bowed, Zuko did as well antsy to get to the middle ring. They followed the man out to the main part of the shop.

"Thank you, come again soon" They left onto the street and Zuko wanted to run. He felt Katara subtly touch his arm.

"Zuko, relax he is ok. We'll be there soon and then be able to get back to the Fire Nation, which I'm sure Aang and Toph have taken care of no problem." She reassured him. Zuko kept looking straight ahead.

"I know, I just need to see him." He let out a long sigh and fought not to let his shoulders slouch. "I have to know he is ok" His voice came out quiet. He wondered if Katara heard him. If she did she didn't say anything they just walked to the edge of the upper ring.

As soon as they stepped foot in the middle ring Katara could feel Zuko's patients wearing thin. They had gotten directions to the bakery and should be there soon. It wasn't a long walk but with the energy radiating off of Zuko they couldn't get there soon enough. The streets were busy with people walking, going about their daily lives. Katara couldn't help but envy them. Even the girls she saw giggling and looking at Zuko. No one knew they were together so in the eyes of the world he was one of the most coveted bachelors.

Katara wished she knew that type of life. One where you heard about the dangers through rumor but never saw them in person. A life where you hadn't watched people die, or killed anyone. It wasn't something she liked to think about but it crept in her mind often and the thought hung over her like a black fog. What would it be like to giggle with a friend on the street? To go to school and have sleepovers? To have parents to come home to every night? These are all things she would never know, things others took for granted.

A boy jumped out and scared what Katara assumed was a sister and she screamed. Suddenly she was back at the invasion. She heard screams of the wounded, everyone she had let down. Katara couldn't help them but she could hear them all as she flew away on appa. All the friends and allies that had come together to help them were the ones suffering because of Aang, because of Toph, because of Sakka, because of her. The cries of pain and fear continued to echo in her ears. They should have done better, they should have tried harder, trained more. Even these rushing thoughts were hard to hear over the screams.

"Katara," she heard Zuko's voice but couldn't find her own. A hand touched her face. She flinched and saw Zuko and the day of black sun faded. "Hey, are you ok?"

"You shouldn't touch me like this in public. It's not appropriate for the Fire Lord to display such affection to someone he isn't betrothed to." Her voice came out stiff and matter of fact.

"Agni Katara, I don't care," He was standing in front of her . "You stopped walking and when I turned around you looked… like you were somewhere else, terrified." She shook her head.

"Not now, not here." She wouldn't be able to keep herself together. Besides she had no idea what she would say. "Let's find your uncle," She stepped around Zuko. He fell into pace beside her. She was sure he would bring this up later but was glad she could avoid the conversation for the moment. The bakery came into view, a much welcomed distraction. They walked into the shop and walked up to, who they presumed to be, the owner.

"We heard you have a grand guest" Zuko said to the woman.

"Lee," The woman called to her son. He came over "Take these people upstairs." He simply nodded and they followed him. At the top of the stairs was a door. Lee put a key in.

Zuko wanted to shove past the boy who was probably about his age. As the door opened Lee gestured for them to enter.

"Oh, Nephew!" Uncle stood from his pai sho table and put down his tea. Zuko was surprised with the normalcy of the scene.

"Uncle, you're ok" Zuko suddenly felt small, like a child.

"Why of course," He hugged Zuko. "Lady Katara," He greeted her formally but hugged her as well. "Tell me are you a more worthy pai sho opponent than my nephew?" He put his hand up to block his mouth as if he were telling a secret. "He has never been good at pai sho. I don't think he has ever won a game in his life." He then laughed his deep belly laugh. All the tension Zuko had felt, the feeling of being small, and being helpless all faded away. He smiled.

"There you are Nephew, you need to smile more, worry less." He turned again to Katara "Tell me, is he trying to take on the world by himself?"

"Actually Iroh-"

"Uncle, please"

"Uncle, Zuko has a well rounded group of advisors that he seems to listen to," She looked at him. She was going to say something to get him in trouble, he knew it. "I would be able to tell you for sure if he would let me into the meetings,"

"Zuko, how can you deny this beautiful young lady anything?" The old man turned back to Katara, "Please excuse my Nephew, he has no manners. You are welcome to join any meeting of his," What had just been said hit Zuko.

"Wait - Uncle, you can't do that! You-" Iroh held up a hand and shook his head.

"It had already been done. If an ostrich horse walks the same path every day he misses the possibilities that surround him," Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Do you know what you have done?" He didn't want Katara to take on any more responsibility or be able to see through his facade during meetings and truly know how stressed he was. Iroh's smile spread wide across his face.

"I just invited a pretty girl to spend more time with you," He winked at Katara. Great, this was just fantastic. Suddenly Zuko remembered the situation they were in.

"Uncle, how can you be so calm! The Ozai supporters were minutes away from attacking you!" The man met Zuko's gaze with his own serious eyes.

"Yes, but I didn't. And you, my nephew, got my clue. Now I know you are ok, I was worried about you"

"So you'll come back then?" Zuko was fearful of the answer. To his relief his uncle nodded.

"I will, only until the Ozai supporters calm. Once I know I will no longer be used as leverage against you I must return to the Jasmine Dragon." Relief washed over Zuko.

"Thank you," Zuko was grateful. Katara stepped forward.

"I don't mean to cut this short but we really need to get back to the airship and the fire nation.

"Where is the airship?" Iroh asked.

"At the palace," Zuko answered.

"Hmm. You two go to a few more shops around here. Make sure no one suspects anything. I will meet you back at the airship." He and Katara both nodded, not questioning whatever plan Iroh had. "I will see you soon" Zuko was pulled into another hug.

"Yes, you will." Zuko and Katara were shown out by Lee. Before they left the bakery the owner handed them a bag.

"Thank you and come again!" She smiled. They exited onto the street.

"A shoe store," Katara said.

"What?"

"We should go to a show store. If anyone has been following us it will look like we didn't find what we wanted at the upper ring so we came here, grabbed lunch, and before we went to the next store," Zuko nodded.

"Let's find a shoe store."

Not far down the street was a shoe store. They looked around for a while and Katara tried on at least 5 different shoes before randomly deciding on a red pair that were embroidered with dragons and flowers. She would probably never wear them. He hoped she would never wear them. Soon after the two were headed back to the palace.

"You took forever. All you had to do was walk in and pick a pair of shoes,"

"No, I had to look like I wanted something very specific or I could have gotten something at the upper ring store. Zuko, everything is fine, your uncle will be back on the ship before we get there and if the winds are with us we can be back at the palace in just over two days."

"Fine like it was earlier when you were standing in the middle of the street?" He knew he hit a nerve even though they were walking side by side about a foot apart, making sure not to touch, and looking forward. Her voice came out strained.

"Drop it Zuko," this wasn't a request.

"Sorry," He would push the issue later.

Katara had been right. Iroh was on the airship waiting for them when they arrived. Moments after they boarded the ship took off.

"I'm going to lie down, I'm not feeling well," Katara quickly and politely excused herself. Without realising it Zuko followed her. They ended up in their bedroom. "Zuko, I don't have the energy to deal with whatever you are going to say," She sounded exhausted.

"Will you lie down with me and let me hold you?" The question caught Katara off guard. Instead of giving an answer she just hugged Zuko, grateful. His arms held her close as his robe naturally closed around them. He picked her up and put her down so she was sitting on the edge of the bed. He took off his robe, let down his hair, then kneeled to take off Katara's shoes. Once he finished Zuko got in the bed and pulled her into him.

"Whatever it is we will deal with it later, together," He said into her hair and tightened his hold on her pulling her as close as she could possibly be to his warm body. She wasn't going to argue, mostly because she didn't have the energy. Instead she kissed one of his hands that was wrapped around her. Soon Katara fell asleep, safe and warm.

Her dream was anything but safe.

"She's playing you" She watched herself say to Zuko but her voice was wrong. It didn't sound like her, it sounded like... Azula. Katara looked down and saw her nails. She always kept them trimmed and short. Long nails got in the way. Then she looked up and there were lopsided bangs in her face. No. She couldn't be. Katara blinked and she was shooting lightning, smiling at the fear in Zuko's eyes as he ran to save the Katara standing behind him. A laugh rippled through her body and pure joy coursed through her veins as she watched Zuko convulse on the ground in front of her.

"No!" She shot up on the bed. Moments later the door opened and Zuko rushed in.

"What's wrong? What happened?" He looked around ready to fight.

"It was just a bad dream," She tried to play it off as she wiped sweat from her brow.

"Katara…" He looked deeply concerned.

"I dreamed I was Azula," She looked down at her hand and tried to smooth out the sheet next to her. "That I shot you and" She closed her eyes and signed. "I liked it," Her voice threatened to betray any ounce of strength she had left so she didn't say anything else. Zuko's hand touched her cheek, he was wiping away tears. She was crying.

"Katara, look at me," He waited for a moment. "Katara," worry saturated his words. She hesitantly looked up at him. "It wasn't your fault. Azula is cruel and insane. We know that, I think we had known it for a long time. She hurt me, not you. You saved me."

"How can you say that?" She was angry now, couldn't he see the truth? "If I hadn't been there you wouldn't have gotten hurt! I'm the reason you jumped in front of lightning completely unprepared!" He put his warm calloused hands on her cheeks making it so she couldn't turn away.

"I made that choice, no one forced me. The same thing could have happened if you weren't there and I wouldn't have made it." He was looking deep into her eyes. "Everything that happened saved the world and brought me to you." Sobs came from her lips, she didn't know why exactly she was crying. Zuko pulled her into him, "It's ok. It's over and I'm ok. We are ok," She felt engulfed by him, safe for the moment. She was so grateful to have him.

"Thank you" she whispered into his robes.

...

Let's be real, there is no way these kids don't have PTSD. There will be sexy fun time next chapter.

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