Bleeyeddevi06, you are my editing Queen! Thank you for being my beta!


The Team Avatar players stood next to a large rock, and actress Katara said, "Well, here we are in the Earth Kingdom!"

Actress Aang opened up her miniature air glider prop and said, "I'd better have a look around to see if I can find an Earthbending teacher!" And a cable lifted her into the air.

Akal's eyes were drawn to Toph when she excitedly said, "This is it. This must be where I come in!"

Actress Aang flew around the theater, over the audience, and returned to the stage and announced, "I flew all over town, but I couldn't find a single Earthbending master!"

Toph smiled hugely and waited in anticipation, "Here it comes …."

Actor Toph enters the stage from a trapdoor beneath the rock prop and holds it above his head. "You can't find an Earthbending master in the sky. You have to look underground!" He then tossed away the rock prop.

Aang, Akal, Sokka, Suki, and Katara laughed; Zuko looked up from a piece of paper and, stunned, dropped the paper, and Toph still looked eager.

Actress Aang then asked, "Who are you?"

Actor Toph spat and replied, "My name's Toph because it sounds like tough, and that's just what I am!" He flexed his muscles, and the audience started laughing.

Toph confusedly asked, "Wait a minute. I sound like a guy. A really buff guy."

Katara is smirking at her when she replies, "Well, Toph, what you hear up there is the truth. It hurts, doesn't it?"

Toph smiled big and said, "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have cast it any other way! At least it's not a flying bald lady!"

Akal couldn't hold back, and he was almost choking on his laughter. He watched a play with Toph once where she was played by a strong woman, and she was pissed. She said she'd seen it cast better. Now he got it. It was hilarious.

Back on stage, actress Aang waved her hand in front of actor Toph's eyes and asked, "So, you're blind?"

Actor Toph laughed and said, "I can see you doing that. I see everything that you see, except I don't 'see' like you do. I release a sonic wave from my mouth." He let out a huge scream. "There. I got a pretty good look at you." Akal was laughing so hard tears rolled down his cheeks.

Cut to a stagehand operating a light—the shot changes to show the actors Zuko and Iroh.

Actor Iroh said, "Zuko, it's time we had a talk ... about your hair, it's gone too far!" He pointed to a large wig on actor Zuko's head. Zuko scowled from the balcony at the portrayal of him. He hated that they didn't even care enough to get his facial scar right.

Actor Zuko scowled at actor Iroh and said, "Maybe it's best if we ... split ... up!" He then walked away angrily.

Now Team Avatar players and actors Zuko and Iroh cornered actress Azula. Actor Zuko said, "Azula, my sister, what are you doing here?"

Actress Azula scoffed, "You caught me. Wait, what's that?" She then points into the distance. "I think it's your honor!"

Actor Zuko looked back to find it, "Where?!" Everyone else looked, too, while actress Azula escaped through a door. Zuko sank in his seat. He really hated this play.

Katara noticed and laced their fingers together again, hiding them in his robe. She squeezed his hand in support. A faint smile flitted across his face before he hid it from everyone.

Actress Katara looked shocked, "She escaped, but how?!"

The scene changed to show a large drill prop that actress Azula stood on while it drilled through a wall that actress Aang attempted to stand on. One stagehand dressed in black clothing shook the wall while other waved smoke onto the stage.

Actress Aang announced, "If she continues drilling, this wall will come down for sure!" A stagehand then offered actress Aang a rock prop, which she threw at actress Azula.

Actress Azula blocked the rock prop and said, "Haha, yes! Continue drilling! The city of Ba Sing Se can hide no longer!"

Actress Aang threw two more rock props at Azula. Suddenly, actor Jet jumped out. He wore googly eyes and waved his hook hands around. The Team Avatar players then began surrounding actor Jet.

Actress Aang yelled, "No, Jet! What did they do to you?"

Actor Jet woodenly replies, "Must ... serve ... Earth King!" He then began swinging his hook hand wildly at actress Aang and actor Sokka. "Must ... destroy!"

A stagehand threw a hollow rock prop that floated down, and actor Jet fell so that he landed underneath the prop and crawled all the way under.

Zuko asked, perplexed, "Did Jet just ... die?"

Sokka looks confused, "You know, it was really unclear."

Next, actress Katara was center stage with the stage background painted as the Crystal Catacombs. She says, "I have to admit, Prince Zuko, I really find you attractive!"

Actor Zuko scowled, "You don't have to make fun of me."

Actress Katara replied, "But I mean it! I've had eyes for you since the day you first captured me!"

Akal has begun to love this part of the play. He watched Katara lean the tiniest bit into Zuko. He wished he could see their faces right now.

Zuko was blushing lightly and trying to keep his eyes off Katara. He knew it wasn't time to give his feelings away to everyone. As their fingers were laced together, he did start caressing her hand with his thumb.

Back on stage, actor Zuko said, "Wait, I thought you were the Avatar's girl!" Aang was nodding in the balcony seats.

Actress Katara laughed and said, "The Avatar? Why, he's like a little brother to me! I certainly don't think of him in a romantic way. Besides, how could he ever find out about ... this?" Then actress Katara and actor Zuko embraced and held hands while actress Katara popped up one leg.

Damn, did Zuko want to kiss her as the play implied they had. He tried not to smirk that Katara looking at Aang as her brother was one of the first accurate things of the play.

Aang got up abruptly, and Sokka whispered, "Oh, you're getting up? Can you get me some fire flakes? Ooh, and fire gummies!" Sokka then put his arm back around Suki, who looked slightly annoyed. She couldn't believe how dense Sokka was right now.

Once the play was over, Zuko and Katara unlaced their fingers and made their way out of the theater with everyone else. They all agreed it was a terrible play.

That night, Katara couldn't sleep, and she made her way out of the house to the shoreline and began walking along it. She'd walked quite a distance when she saw Zuko sitting on a rock staring out over the water.

She blushed and said, "Couldn't sleep after that play?"

He shook his head at her, "The play was awful, but that isn't why I can't sleep."

"What's wrong?" She looked at him in concern.

"I sounded so cocky earlier with you, but do I actually stand a chance?" He looked down and fiddled with the hem of his clothes.

She rolled her eyes at him and walked over then sat next to him. "I held your hand most of that stupid play." She then bumped him with her shoulder. "It's more than a chance, Zuko."

"That play was terrible, but I found I really enjoyed part of it," he reached over and laced their fingers together again and caressed her hand with his thumb. "You held my hand during the play."

Katara blushed lightly and smiled at him. "Well, you held my hand back…" She blushed even further when she realized how lame that sounded to her ears.

Zuko chuckled, turned to her, and brought his other hand up to her cheek, "Do you have any idea how amazing you are?"

She stared into his eyes and shook her head, "Zuko… I…"

He then leaned forward and kissed her lips. He meant it to stay chaste, but she opened to him, and he slid his tongue in her mouth. Tasting her and learning that even though she was a Waterbender, she should send fire through his body. He kissed her passionately, and he loved that she gave as good as she got. Neither of them were tender. It was a kiss of passion and desire.

When they broke for air, he leaned his forehead against hers, "I get that we can't tell anyone. Aang likes you, and he has to focus on the mission, not a broken heart. I get that, but I need to know if, even in secret, if you'd be my girlfriend."

She stared into his eyes, "Is that fair to either of us to keep it secret?"

He brushed some loose hair from in front of her face behind her ear, "Where in this whole mess is anything fair?" He sighed and closed his eyes. "Unless you don't really want to-"

"-Yes, I want to date you, Zuko!" She kissed his scarred cheek and added, "I just wonder if we should date now and keep it a secret."

He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips and said, "I don't know if I can stop kissing you. I was thinking we should be dating while I do." He smirked when she sucked in a breath.

"Katara," He wrapped his arms around her. "Now that I know how you feel about me… I don't want to stay away. I just hate hurting Aang. You saw him tonight. He thinks you're his girlfriend."

She blushed, "I did kiss him once." Zuko shifted uncomfortably, and his hold on her loosened. She continued, "But it was nothing like the kiss I just experienced. I want to keep kissing you too."

He leaned down and claimed her mouth again. She was even more responsive to his kiss. Her arms came up and wrapped around his neck, pressing her body to his. She felt warm, and he pressed her even tighter to his body when she moaned into the kiss. His lungs were screaming for air, and he sucked in a quick breath through his nose. He refused to part from the kiss.

When they did break for air, he noticed at some point he'd pulled her into his lap, and apparently, she'd come willingly. She leaned into his embrace and rested her head against his chest.

He heard her sigh and shift a bit then say, "I'm your girlfriend. I don't want to give this up. I think I can handle keeping this a secret until the comet. Either way, we'll know the outcome."

"Where is your speech for hope?" he teased fondly.

"Ask me tomorrow. At night, the worry and doubt creep in."

He shifted her so he could look down into her face and said, "Have hope, Katara. We'll win this and stop my father and my sister. I promise."

"When did you become all about hope?"

He caressed her cheek and said, "When you held my hand during the play. It turns out you inspire hope just by being you. You're amazing."

She leaned up and kissed him, and hope for the future bloomed in her chest.