"Katara? Are you awake?" Vande whispered to her friend. It was late, and everybody had long since gone to bed. Aang and Sokka, even Appa and Momo could be heard snoring, but for what she could tell, Katara couldn't.
"Yeah…" Katara said sighing.
"Not tired?" Vande asked.
"No. Are you?" Katara shook her head.
"No." Vande sighed.
"Want to go for a walk?" Katara asked sitting up.
"Sure." Vande said sitting up too.
They both stood and started walking. At first the walk was quiet, but once they were far from there other companions, Katara slowed down there pace. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure" Vande said looking at her.
"When you were trapped on Zhao ship, who was the man you escaped with?" Katara asked stopping completely.
Vande stopped too. She had never told them anything about Zuko, and this question worried her. "That's a strange question…"
"It's just that, well, you've been talking in your sleep and…" Kataras voice trailed off.
"Oh… I see. Uh, what have I said?" She asked nervously.
"Well, a lot about Prince Zuko. Was he the other guy on the ship?" She asked.
"Yeah. He was." Vande admitted.
"Was he was boy that saved you when you were a kid?" Katara continued.
"Yeah. He was." Vande looked away.
"Is… Is he your friend?" She asked tensely.
"No, we worked together, that's all." Vande said looking Katara in the eyes.
"You… are having a hard time forgetting him aren't you?" Katara looked at her sympathetically.
"I saw a different Zuko. The Zuko I knew wasn't like the one that chases Aang around… He's different." Vande said looking away again.
"I trust you; I know you want to help Aang. But I'm not sure I believe that Zuko can be any different then he is… what did he do to make you feel otherwise?" She asked sitting down on a big rock.
Vande leaned against a tree. "He trusted me, and believed me. And he told me his story. He told me why he looks for the Avatar. And he looked into my eyes and smiled." Her voice was a whisper and dream like.
"You like him a lot then don't you." Katara said.
"I can't help it…" Vande looked at the floor.
"I don't blame you. I'm not mad or anything. I always knew there had to be some good in him, and if anyone can bring it out of him it's you. I believe that."
"Oh, thank you for understanding, I knew if anyone would it's be you." Vande said smiling. "But he's Prince Zuko. I'm nobody. I shouldn't waste my hope on him; he doesn't like me, not like I do him." Vande shook her head sadly.
"You're no a nobody. He knows the real you. The real wonderful you. He'd be crazy not to be thinking about you right now!" Katara said hopefully.
"I don't know…" Vande said smiling sadly.
"Tell me more about the dream, and the real him. I've never had a girl to girl talk with before…" Katara said smiling broadly.
Vande laughed, and as she filled Katara in on ever aspect of Zuko. Zuko leaned against the railing of his ship, being totally sane. At least according to Katara. He was quiet she that he had long gone over the deep end. It'd been for days since his dream of meting Vande in the woods, and he hadn't had a night without dreaming of her since.
He stared down at his reflection. "What's wrong with me?" He asked it. He jumped when he got an answer.
"Nothing at all is wrong with you Zuko." It was his uncle, standing feet behind him.
"Uncle! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Zuko ordered.
"I'm sorry Prince Zuko. I did not mean to scare you. What are you doing out here this late at night though, I wander." Iroh asked.
"Nothing." Zuko said bitterly looking back into the water.
"You're thinking about her?" Iroh asked.
"Not know Uncle." Was all he said.
"You can't hide from her can you?" Iroh asked.
"I just need to try harder." Zuko said.
"Zuko. You care about her. And if you don't clam her, someone else will." Iroh put his hand on Zuko shoulder.
"Why should I? She's just a girl Uncle." Zuko said looking deeper into his reflection.
"You don't really believe that?" Iroh asked.
"Know. But I should. Beside, why would she let me 'clam' her? What would see want with an exiled prince?" Zuko asked bitterly.
"That's not who you are. Who you are is so much greater. She'd be mad to not be gossiping about you right now to a friend." Iroh laughed.
"That's foolish Uncle." Zuko said.
"It's not." Iroh assured him. "Tell me. Are you eyes pretty?"
"There like the sunrise." Zuko said.
"Good night Zuko." Iroh said.
"Good night Uncle."