Disclaimer: Neither Avatar: the Last Airbender nor its characters belong to me

YEEEEEEEE! YES, I KNOW, I'M SOOOO SORRY! I am alive and I do intend to finish but life, school, work, and other responsibilities have gotten in the way a bit...but to my loyal readers who have stuck around (and new ones, too) I truly am sorry! Maybe this chapter will be a sort of salve.

***SPOILER/WARNING*** The couple "do it" this chapter. I have updated the rating to "M" for "adult themes" but it's really not too explicit. Hope you enjoy!

Katara strategically avoided Zuko the rest of the day and night, thanking the spirits for the invitation to tea at the Zhee's she received before dinner, which she skipped. She had pretended to be asleep when Zuko came to bed, and he was gone when she awoke in the morning.

That afternoon, after returning to the palace from tea, Katara was sitting on one of the open verandas when she heard footsteps. She looked up, but when she saw it was only Zuko, she returned to her reading.

Without saying anything, he held a bouquet of flowers in her face.

"What are these?"

"Uncle told me to get them for you, citing some riddle or another. Actually, I think he wanted me to recite the riddle. I forget."

She took the orchids from him and inspected them. "Of course. Uncle."

He sat down next to her, his hands resting on his knees. "I would, however, like to apologize to you. I should have thought of what you would want when Uncle presented his plans, and I should not have let him confront you like he did. It was not fair to you, to put you in that position. I should have...handled myself better and asked you what you want. I'm sorry, Katara."

She looked up at him. "It's alright, Zuko."

"Would you like to go to Ember Island?"

She bit her lip. "I would, but I understand if you're too busy. We can go another time. I reacted poorly, too."

He shook his head. "No, I'll make it work."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am," he said, taking her hand and squeezing her fingers.

She smiled at him, and his heart stuttered in his chest.

Katara could barely contain her glee when Zuko told her they were going to Ember Island after all and promised to try to not be grumpy. She busied herself with organizing her office—sorting through the papers Zuko had sent her regarding public schools so she wouldn't be overwhelmed when she returned—and packing. Jien had offered to pack for her, but as neither she nor Zuko were bringing any servants with them, she thought it best to pack for herself.

Katara took one look at one of the new dresses that had been laid out for her and could not prevent her frustrated cry from escaping her lips.

"What's the matter?" Zuko asked.

"It's just—its—they don't listen to me!"

"Who don't?"

"The seamstresses. I've asked them multiple times to please stop using such thick materials. And pants. I've asked for a few more pairs of pants at least three times, and it's like she doesn't hear me!"

"Then you stop asking her. You tell her."

"What?"

"Katara, you're the Fire Lady. I understand you don't want to order the servants around, but they need to know that when you 'ask' for something, it's not a suggestion; it's a command. You don't have to wear what they pick out for you. I certainly don't."

"But...I thought the Fire Lady was supposed to—"

"There hasn't been a Fire Lady since my grandmother Ilah died over forty years ago. There's plenty the Fire Lady is 'supposed to do' and expected to do but times have changed. If you don't want to wear formal dresses every day, you don't have to."

"Just like that? Won't I be viewed as disrespecting your customs?"

"Who cares?" He asked, removing his shirt and flopping down on the bed.

She looked at him, incredulous. "I care. I want your people to like me. I want them to respect me. I don't want them to think their Fire Lady, your wife, is some uncultured peasant."

"If you're really that worried about it, fine, continue wearing those awful clothes. But half of being a monarch is learning to drown out the petty talk."

"And the other half?"

"The other half is rising above it. It's proving that they're wrong with your actions, without acknowledging the gossip."

She caught his emphasis on gossip and her face burned. "Are you packed?"

"Yes, dear."

"I mean clothes, not trunks of scrolls."

He looked properly chastised but said yes.

"Where are we staying?"

"You're full of questions tonight."

She glared at him.

"We're staying at…our beach cottage."

"Our beach cottage? You still have that place?"

"Have I not…mentioned that?"

"No, you haven't. Anything else you haven't mentioned?"

"We actually do own a few houses throughout the Fire Nation, most of them safe houses, and two in the Earth Kingdom."

"Really?"

He nodded.

Silence settled between them as she continued to pack.

"They do like you," he said quietly.

"What?"

"The people—they're your people now, too, and they do like you. Very much."

She could feel her face grow hot, but she said, "Well, I'm glad. I…I was looking over the paperwork you sent me. I see some…potential there, but I think that to know what is really needed, I might need to take a more…hands-on approach."

He looked up at her, his eyes narrowing. "Meaning?"

"Meaning, I'd like to spend more time in the city, visit some schools, maybe visit a few outside of the Capital, in the country perhaps. Maybe we could visit one on Ember Island." She crawled into bed, settling beside him.

"'Maybe'?"

She looked at him before realizing he was teasing her.

"Well, I just don't—"

Her mouth snapped shut as he took her hand in his, twisting the gold ring on her finger. "I meant what I said when I gave you this: your power to rule is equal to mine. As long as you take necessary precautions, take an escort, stay safe," he said, kissing her fingers, "I have no problem with that."

She squeezed his hand, relishing the feeling of it in hers. "Thank you!" she blurted suddenly.

He looked up at her, her hand still in his. "For what?"

"For…for agreeing to go on this trip."

He shook his head. "You don't have to thank me. And I'm sorry I reacted so poorly. I'm also sorry you've been cooped up in the palace so much."

Not knowing what to say, she just nodded.

Early the next morning, a small party escorted them to the harbor where they boarded a small cutter, a lot smaller than the last ship on which they traveled. When she asked Zuko about this he explained that he wasn't publicizing their trip so that they could travel in peace.

"I thought you would have sold this place," she admitted as they arrived at the beach house later that evening. It was the same one they'd stayed in…so long ago.

Zuko carried both his and her small bag; their trunks would be delivered in the morning. "Why?"

"I don't know…"

"If I razed everything that reminded me of…my unhappy childhood," he explained as if reading her mind, "I'd destroy half my kingdom."

Katara looked around the old beach house. "It looks…"

"Iroh had it cleaned before our arrival," he explained simply.

"Oh."

He grabbed her bag and disappeared down the back hall. "We have the place to ourselves. Guards are stationed on the perimeter of the property, but we shouldn't be disturbed. Rumor has it we are still in the capital, so we can even go into town undisturbed…if you want, that is."

She shrugged.

He eyed her silently.

"Would you mind if I just went down to the beach?" she asked, letting her exhaustion creep into her voice.

"You don't have to ask my permission, Katara," he said. "Do as you please."

"Okay then. I'm going to the beach."

She changed and walked down to the water. It was dark out but still unbearably hot, and the moon reflected brightly on the water. She waded into the water, which provided instant relief to the oppressive heat. She swam for a while, seeing Zuko walk down the beach and sit at the water's edge in her periphery. Floating on her back, she called out, "You're not coming in?"

"Not tonight," he answered.

She sat up and kneeled in the sand, the water reaching her shoulders. "I don't need a babysitter, you know."

"Maybe I like watching you swim," he retorted quickly.

She felt her face flush and was thankful for the darkness. "When's the last time you saw me swim?" she asked.

"I've seen you with your ladies in the palace pools."

"You have? Have you been spying on me?"

"No."

"You never join me," she pointed out.

"I'm very busy."

"Not too busy to watch me, apparently. Besides, you work too much."

His eyes narrowed but he didn't reply.

"I think you should come in."

"Hm."

"I could make you."

His eyes snapped to hers. "Really?"

"Yes," she said, pushing the water up the beach so that it soaked his feet before pulling it back. "I can keep going."

He stood and removed his shirt before wading into the water. "Happy?"

She smiled. "Yes." She pushed away from the shore and swam a bit deeper. "Doesn't it feel wonderful?"

"It's alright."

She rolled her eyes. He swam toward her, treading water. She put her arms on his shoulders and he wrapped his around her waist. "Better?" she asked.

"Getting there," he answered before pressing his lips to hers. She kissed him hard, running her fingers through his saltwater-drenched hair, opening her mouth to him and wrapping her legs around his hips. His tongue and breath were hot in her mouth. He moved them to shallower water, running his hands up her thighs, making her tremble. But, as usual, he began to slow down, pull away, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him tight, as he pressed his lips to her temple.

He carried her out of the water, and when her feet touched the sand, he wrapped a towel around her shoulders. "You hungry?" She could feel the warmth of his hands on her shoulders through the towel.

"Not really," she answered, stroking the scar on his chest.

He nodded, and they walked back up to the house together. She bathed and changed into her nightdress, and found Zuko already in bed, reading a scroll. She crawled into bed next to him and pulled the sheet over her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Do you need anything?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

He put down the scroll and rolled onto his side toward her.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "For bringing us here."

He merely dipped his chin.

Katara took a deep breath. "Zuko, will you tell me about your mother?"

After a pregnant pause, he asked, "What do you want to know?"

"About her. Your memories of her, what she was like. You...you never speak of her."

He rolled over and stared at the ceiling. She thought he was dismissing her, so she was surprised when he began to speak. "She was kind and beautiful. Sweet. Too sweet for…." He stopped and cleared his throat. "My father treated her horribly—theirs had been an arranged marriage—but she didn't grow bitter or angry. I think she was tired and sad, but she still loved me and my sister, tried to shield us from our father as best as she could. Teach us to be...good. She left so that my father would not kill me. They had come to some sort of...arrangement. So, she left, and my father killed my grandfather instead. I have been unable to find her. When she left the palace that night, it's as if she just disappeared."

"I'm sorry," Katara whispered. When he didn't say anything, she reached out and put her hand on his bare chest. "She would be proud of you. Of the man you've become despite everything."

"I don't think so."

"Well, I do. I hope we can find her someday."

He put his hand on top of hers and squeezed her fingers gently before bringing them to his lips. "Me too."

Fighting her nerves, she pushed herself up suddenly and placed her lips on his before she could overthink and talk herself out of it. His hand came up to cradle the back of her head, his fingers threading through her thick hair. He kissed her back gently and allowed her to pull away when she was ready.

But instead of lying back down, she climbed on top of him, straddling his waist. He gripped her hips tightly. "Katara, I don't think—"

She kissed him again, effectively silencing him. His grip loosened as he kissed her back, enjoying the feeling of her pressed against him. He angled his head to deepen the kiss, and his blood began to pound loudly in his ears. She moaned as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. They both froze momentarily when his arousal pressed against her thigh. He had an apology on his lips when Katara's lips returned to his. He sat up, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her roughly against him. He broke the kiss so his lips could explore the tender flesh of her neck and collarbone, his teeth testing and teasing. Her back arched and she gripped his hair tightly, breathing becoming more difficult. He suppressed a groan when she shifted her hips restlessly against his.

She loved the feeling of him in her arms, his hard body pressed against hers, his heat overwhelming her.

She pulled back slightly, finding his gaze as she began to slip her nightdress over her head.

Zuko's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, fighting the temptation to look down at her beautiful body, and held her eyes.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted quietly. "And I'm nervous."

"That's okay. As long as it's what you want. We can go slow. Or stop, if you want."

She shook her head. "I don't want to stop. I want this—you. I want to be your wife, Zuko."

He looked at her for a moment before saying, "It hurts, the first time. It can hurt a lot."

"I know that. It's okay." As if to convince him, she kissed him again, stroking his cheek and jaw with her fingertips.

She felt her whole body relax as he kissed her back, holding her tightly. She gasped when he suddenly flipped them so she was on her back and he was braced on his elbows above her, his mouth gentle and rough, sweet and teasing as he kissed her lips and throat, bit her earlobe.

She might have been inexperienced, but she knew the basics. She reached for the draw strings on his pants, but he grabbed her hands, pinning them down above her head.

"There's no rush," he said.

She nodded and accepted his kiss again. He began kissing her down the length of her body, from her eyebrow to her collarbone to her breast to her stomach to her knee to the arch of her foot, and then back up again. She began to feel both hot and cold at the same time.

"You're trembling," he whispered.

"I am? I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Don't stop. Please."

He returned to his ministrations. Zuko could sense her nervousness so he was sure to be gentle, careful not to rush her in any way. But her lower abdomen tightened with apprehension and desire, her fear fleeing. She ran her hands up and down the taut muscles of his back. His golden eyes glowed in the candlelight; they looked like smoldering embers in a growing fire. He was gazing at her with such passion, as well as his own desire, she nearly drowned.

He was right. It did hurt, more than she'd expected. But the pain had receded quickly. Their hearts beat as if one, slowly returning to normal paces after their respective climaxes. He rested his forehead in the crook of her neck, nearly collapsing on top of her, and she cradled him to her, smoothing his sweat-dampened hair. He shifted and pulled her into his arms. She settled into his embrace, resting her head on his arm, which was curled beneath her. She felt so good…but now she was so tired. She took a deep breath.

His other arm was draped over her waist, his warm fingers rubbing small, rhythmic circles up and down her flat abdomen. Brushing her hair out of the way, he trailed kisses along her hairline and neck. She shuddered at his touch and burrowed into his warmth.

Feeling sleep encroach, she grabbed his hand, entwining their fingers. "I love you," she told him. She heard him sigh her name and turned to press her lips to his bicep, letting them linger there as she fell asleep.