Her mind was still reeling as Katara finished the afternoon with Pakku, disbelief, excitement, and anxiety warring for control in her mind.

She'd have to find someway to explain to Song that she'd only accepted on the promise that her mother's necklace would be returned to her.

That's a lie and you know it.

And she suspected Song would know it too. After all, even though Katara couldn't remember it, her and Zuko had apparently hit it off the night before.

She still wasn't sure what she could possibly have in common with the rich, entitled son of not only a business mogul, but a world leader - talk about a multi-tasker - but she couldn't deny part of her was eager to find out.

Katara only hoped her friend would understand. It really hadn't been her intention to find romance in Ba Sing Se, but there was just something magnetic about the way her body responded to Zuko's presence.

His golden gaze made her heart do funny little somersaults, and she found his somewhat awkward demeanor endearing.

It had taken everything in her not to smile at him stumbling over his words when she'd agreed to their date. It was taking everything she had not to smile thinking about it now.

"You did well today, Katara," Pakku praised her as they drove down the cartway. "Albeit a little distracted," he added.

Katara hoped he didn't see her blush at this. "Sorry, Dr. Takret, I guess I'm still just adjusting to all this change." Not a total lie.

Aside from Zuko, home had been heavy on her mind that day. She had a fierce craving for Gran Gran's sea prune stew and her father and brother's terrible jokes. She'd have to call them if it was early enough at home after her date, though she wasn't quite sure she was ready to mention that to them yet.

Pakku gave her a warm smile and said, "We're off the clock now, Katara. You can call me Pakku."

"Sorry, doct- Pakku," she corrected herself, the cart coming to a halt in front of the Reserve Management building. "Same time tomorrow?" she asked as they hopped out of the vehicle.

"Same time tomorrow," Pakku echoed, giving her a quick bow of his head before walking inside.

Katara checked her phone for the time. 5 o'clock. Only one hour to find Song, feed her owl-cat, and wash the smell of zoo animals off her before Zuko came to pick her up.

She opened her messaging app and shot a quick text to Song.

Hey, I have something I need to talk to you about, gal to gal. Can you meet me at my apartment before 6?

The reply was almost instantaneous.

Sure thing! I just have to check the Penguin-Otters temp gauge for their habitat and I'll be right over!

One task started, two to go.

Her owl-cat gave a hoot and purred in greeting as Katara entered the apartment, soaring from her perch to rub herself between Katara's calves.

"Hey, girl," Katara cooed, squatting down to give her pet an affectionate scratch behind her tufted ears.

Hoo, prrrrr, hoo! Came the response.

"Guess what? I have a date tonight!" she told her feline-avian friend. "Can you help me pick something to wear?"

The owl-cat cocked her head and gave her a confused look, to which Katara laughed.

"Yeah, I didn't think so." Katara stood up and filled her tray with fresh food and water before stripping her dirty clothing off and stepping into the shower.

Once she felt thoroughly cleansed from the dirt, grime, and various fluids she'd accrued from the workday she stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself as a knock sounded at her door.

Katara glanced up at the clock. 5:30, still plenty of time left. She bent the water from her hair back into the shower and went to open the door.

Song came in with a smile, giving Katara a quick, "Hey!" in greeting.

"So, what's up?" Song asked, seating herself on Katara's bed.

"Well," Katara answered, chewing on her lip for a moment. "I wanted to talk to you about that conversation we had earlier, about... Zuko."

"Oh," Song laughed, waving her hand. "I'm over that now. It was a little silly of me to have a crush on a guy like that," she sighed. "Besides," she continued, "Jet and I had a chance to talk more and he's more my type anyway. Ruggedly handsome, and in a rock band. More adventurous than some stuffy suit."

That's what I thought too. But the longer Katara was around Zuko, the less he seemed like the cold business mogul and prince the tabloids made him out to be.

"Sooo," Katara started, "you wouldn't be upset if I told you that he kinda asked me out on a date with him tonight and I kinda said yes?" Katara rushed her words at the end, closing both eyes for a moment, opening one to peek at Song's reaction.

Surprise and the faintest hint of hurt crossed over Song's eyes before she shrugged and smiled.

"Katara, I'm your friend, not your mom. If you want to date Zuko Sozin, it's not up to me to stop you."

Relief washed over her. "Okay," Katara said slowly. "He did also say that he wanted to apologize to you. He said it wasn't his intention to hurt your feelings and that you're a really nice girl."

Song gave her a smile at this. "Well, I can probably find a way to forgive him for that. Just as long as he doesn't hurt your feelings too." She made a face and punched a fist into her other palm, sending both girls into a fit of laughter.

As their giggling subsided, Katara said, "Thank you, Song. Really."

"What are friends for?" Song returned, looking over at Katara's piles of clothes still littering the floor. "So, where is he taking you?" she asked.

"I don't think he said the name, he just said it was his Uncle's place and that they had great tea."

Song's eyes lit up at the mention of his uncle. "He's taking you to the Jasmine Dragon? It takes forever to get dinner reservations there! Oh you lucky turtleduck! Do you have an outfit picked out yet? What time is he getting here?"

"No, I have no idea what to wear," Katara admitted. "I've honestly never been on a real date before. He said he'd be here at 6." They both looked up at the clock.

5:45.

"Well then we'd better get to digging!"