a/n Happy Halloween! Hope everyone is having a spook-tastic night!
Thank you for all the response on my last chapter! Your reviews are amazing! I sometimes find it hard to believe that you guys like my work so much. :P As promised, here is my update!

Disclaimer: No, just no

~Chapter 5~

-Katara-

"So you two go way back huh?" Jet asked, gesturing with his head to where Zuko had disappeared into the trees.
"Yeah, we used to be neighbors," she replied, unsure how this was his business.
"Ah," he said then looked down at the dock, "Do you want to sit?"
"Sure," she agreed and resumed her spot. Jet sat smoothly beside her. She noticed that it didn't feel quite as comfortable as it had with Zuko, but tried to push the thought away.
"How long ago was this?"
"Since we were neighbors?" Jet nodded, "Ten years I guess."
"Ah!" Jet said, sounding relieved. "I see."
"What's your problem with him?" she asked.
"I don't have a problem with him." Jet replied defensively. Seriously? Did he think she was blind? Jet sighed, "I'm sorry, Katara. I was out of line, it won't happen again." Her expression softened slightly, "The other day was the sixth anniversary of my parents' death and I guess I'm not quite myself yet." Now she felt bad.
"Oh, I'm sorry Jet." She put a hand on his shoulder. He gave her a small sad smile, although his eyes twinkled with life.
"That's okay. I guess I had it coming." He paused, "So what do you have against s'mores?" he joked with a chuckle. She didn't think it was very funny. She also didn't feel like any more profound conversations, so she changed the topic.
"We should probably go," she said standing up, "Campfire will start soon." If Jet was smart, he'd drop the subject.
"Yeah," he replied, hopping to his feet, "You're right." They were both silent as they walked back up the dock.

The little light that remained washed everything in black and white. It was all kind of gloomy. She accidentally bumped into Jet as she walked. She glanced up at him.
"Sorry," she said quietly. He grinned.
"No worries," he replied and nudged her back. She smiled too and lightly shoved him again. "Oh-oh-oh, is that how you want to play?" he asked.
"Uh-huh." Bump.
"Yeah," Bump. This time as he started to charge, she took a calculated step backward, letting him run off the trail.
"Ha!" he laughed, "Nicely, played." He smiled, getting back on the path.
"Thank you," she replied, laughing as well.
"So are you excited to start lifeguard training tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Katara smiled, "I am. A few years ago, I was on a swim team."
"Really? Were you any good?"
"I went to state two years in a row." She had to grin slightly. It had been an amazing feeling.
"Wow, that's so cool!" he enthused, "Why did you stop?" Why had she stopped? There were many reasons. Sokka had convinced her to try out in the first place, promising to drive her to any needed practices, but she had stopped when she learned their father would be on deployment for six months. Before then, he had just been gone in stints of several weeks, but learning he'd be gone for a half a year… she couldn't find the joy in swimming again after that. "Never mind," Jet said, snapping her back to reality. She smiled gratefully at him.
"So, where are you from?" she asked.
"Someplace no one has ever heard of," he joked, "I was born in a small town near another small town known as Gaipan." She paused, thinking if she recognized the name or not.
"Nope," she replied, "sorry." He laughed.
"It's okay," he smiled.

They were back at the foot of the hill, in front of the cabins. She could smell the fire.
"Which way?" he asked.
"Let's loop around behind the cabins," she suggested. He agreed. They had seemed to find a natural rhythm now for conversation. She noticed Jet steered clear of questions about her past, which she appreciated. It was nice to talk to him.

-Zuko-

He blew gently on the small flames, working them up to a roar. He didn't think about anything while he built the fire. His movements were instinctive and his mind peaceful. No conflicted or confused thoughts swirled around. Everything was calm.
"So you and Miss Katara, huh?" Uncle asked, suddenly.
"Uncle!" Zuko said indignantly, turning to face the chuckling man.
"What? I'm curious." Uncle replied. Zuko shook his head once before continuing to tend the fire. "Didn't you tell me about her once?"
"You mean when I was 5?" Zuko grumbled.
"Yes, I remember you thought highly of her, as if she hung the moon and stars." Zuko smiled in spite of himself. Katara had been the center of his world back them. They had shared many childhood adventures together. Even when they fought, as all children do, it wasn't long before they were playing happily again. "I think she'd be good for you." Uncle continued softly, "I heard from your mother that you and Mai broke up. I am honestly very sorry to hear that. I do not like seeing you in pain, nephew." Zuko sighed.

Mai. They had been together for almost 8 months. He had met her at a Halloween party and she remained by his side the whole night, complaining about the other partygoers of course. He was surprised that she had stuck with him. He'd seen her around school and he'd heard all sorts of rumors about her. He had never had a girlfriend before, but that didn't bother her. In fact, she seemed to like it. She taught him all kinds of things and introduced him to her kind of music. He had gone along with all of it because that's what he thought he was supposed to do. He liked her and he didn't want to mess up whatever they had (even if he thought her favorite bands were nothing but screams).
"You seem to have a connection to Miss Katara." Uncle added, "A connection even time cannot destroy."
"Come on Uncle," Zuko said wearily, trying to hide how his words had resonated with him, "It's only the first day of camp."
"Plenty of time for you two to reconnect then," Uncle smiled. What was he saying?
"Did you plan this? Did you know she'd be here?" Zuko asked, his voice rising, "Is that why you wanted me here?"
"Miss Katara did not finalize her spot here until a few days ago, Nephew." Uncle replied calmly, "Also, how was I supposed to know who she was?"
"Her name is pretty unique." Zuko muttered, but he was slowly calming down.
"It could also be that I wanted to see you Zuko. I always do."
"Hmm."
"Here is the last of the s'mores stuff Iroh," Suki said, appearing suddenly behind Zuko. It was weird that he hadn't heard her. She must be pretty stealthy.
"Wonderful, thank you Suki," Uncle smiled, "Just set the tub on that metal table."
"Hey guys!" Sokka called from the top of the amphitheater, "Are we early?"
"No, no," Uncle assured him, "We will start once the others get here."
"Perfect!" a voice squealed that could only belong to Ty. Which left… Jet and Katara… Where are they? He wondered. He hoped everything was all right. A part of him really wanted to check on them, but he knew it wasn't his place. He still worried though.

Not listening to the idle chitchat of those around him, he sat on one of the logs around the fire, trying not to worry. Azula always said he thought too much. He stared into the fire. The logs were far enough back for safety, but close enough so he could feel the flames' warmth. There was something about fire he'd always felt drawn to, a figurative month to a literal flame. He watched the flames move, breathe. Before he could start to worry too much, they put him out of his misery.
"Hey, sorry we're late." Jet called with a smiled as the pair walked down towards the fire, "Lost track of time talking."
"No matter," Uncle replied, "take a seat on a log and we'll begin." Ty had been milling about talking to Sokka, but now she plopped down next to Zuko.
"Hi," she smiled. He nodded once. Everyone else sat down.
"We're going to do an activity first. This is a giant marshmallow." Uncle said as he held it up. "Toss it to someone, ask them a question, they answer, and toss it to someone else. The same person cannot catch it twice. The fire is low enough that it shouldn't catch on fire."
"'Shouldn't?'" Zuko saw Jet mutter. Jet and Katara had taken the log opposite him and his lips were easy enough to read.
"I will start," Uncle went on before he tossed the marshmallow to Katara. She caught it easily, "What is your favorite color?" he asked.
"Blue," she replied with a smile and she tossed it to Suki, "What is your favorite hobby?"
"Hmm…" Suki thought for a moment, "I like to study the Shaolin Fan Form."
"What's that?" Sokka, who was seated next to her, asked.
"It's self-defense using fans." She explained.
"Maybe you could show me one day?"
"Maybe," she repeated with a wry smile. She glanced around the circle and tossed the marshmallow at Zuko. He caught it in one hand. "What is your favorite place in the world?" she asked, then clarified, "That you've been to of course."
"Here." He answered before tossing the marshmallow at Jet. He had planned to throw it to Sokka, but he'd caught Jet mouthing something. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing man," Jet replied and threw the marshmallow to Sokka. "Why did you decide to come back to camp?"
"Well, this place is pretty awesome," Sokka answered, "and I'm heading off to college in the fall so I have no idea what I'll be up to next summer." Ty easily caught the white blob. "What is your weird talent?"
"Hmm… I'm really flexible, but I don't know if you'd call that weird or a talent." She replied.
"What can you do?" Sokka asked.
"I can do a bunch of cartwheels in a row and put my foot behind my head."
"Can we see?" Jet asked. Ty nodded and promptly positioned her foot behind her head.
"Ta-da!" she said as everyone laughed. "Now what?"
"I still haven't gone yet," Uncle said so she tossed the marshmallow to him.
"Why did you make this a co-ed camp?" she asked. Zuko was slightly surprised by the depth to her question. At first, she had seemed too frivolous and flighty, but apparently, she was much more than that.

Uncle smiled as he considered her question.
"My son didn't want this to be a boy's camp or a girl's camp." He explained, "He wanted this place to be for all children." They were all silent until Uncle clapped his hands, "Now, we will toss the marshmallow back in opposite order and the person who tosses it must remember the answer the person they are tossing it to said." Zuko glanced around at the confused faces. "So I toss it back to Ty and she told us her weird talent is contortionism."
"Okay…" Ty said slowly, concentrating, "So I toss it to… Sokka, who said he's coming back because it's fun and he's leaving for college in the fall." Uncle nodded and Ty threw the marshmallow at Sokka.
"And I got this from…Jet and he said 'nothing.'" Sokka said as he passed on the object.
"Zuko threw me this," Jet drawled, "and said that his favorite place in the world was here." Jet lobbed the marshmallow at Zuko with surprising speed.
"Suki said she liked to study Shaolin Fan Form," Zuko said gruffly, annoyed. Had he detected sarcasm in Jet's words?
"Katara tossed me it," Suki answered, "and said her favorite color… was… blue." Katara nodded as she caught the marshmallow.
"And lastly, Iroh said his son wanted this camp to be for all kids." Katara finished, tossing the marshmallow back to Uncle.
"Very good!" Uncle smiled, "I don't think we need to do it again. You all just proved you are excellent listeners. Let's have some s'mores!" Uncle stood and passed out roasting sticks while the bag of regular marshmallows went around.

-Katara-

"Was there a point to all that?" Jet asked under his breath. Katara just shrugged, not wanting to say anything. She thought it had kind of been fun. She skewered her marshmallow onto the pointed stick and hung it out near the fire's embers. Of course, Sokka dangled his marshmallow over the flames and in seconds, it was on fire.
"Ah!" he cried as he quickly retracted the stick and blew out the molten candy. Suki laughed next to him.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," Sokka replied, "I like it like this. Just ask Katara." Suki smiled.
"Oh yes," Katara confirmed, "Sokka has always had a knack for catching his marshmallows on fire. It's not a camping trip without the smell of burning sugar." Everyone laughed.
"Thank you," Sokka replied with a grin.
"My sister used to burn her s'mores too," Zuko said, "She was too impatient back then."
"And now?" Katara asked. Zuko laughed once.
"She's working at self-defense school this summer, so she has to be a little more patient." He explained.
"'Zula at a self-defense school?!" she asked in surprise. When she had known the girl, she had been pretty quiet.
"That's what Sokka said when I told him," Zuko smiled, "She's...changed." Katara had a few ideas what might have caused Azula to change. Their father came to mind.
"You're still the same," she commented.
"No I'm not," he replied, shaking his head once, "At least, I hope not." He stared into the flames, probably thinking about how similar flames had once licked at his face.
"So did you always have that nasty scar?" Jet asked loudly.
"Jet!" she gasped and reflexively smacked him in the arm. How could he ask something so insensitive? She was about to scold him further when Iroh spoke up.
"Now I do not see how that is any of your business Jet." Iroh said firmly. The tips of Jet's ears went red. Good she thought.
"Sorry," Jet mumbled.
"We will be working very closely for the next three weeks," Iroh went on, "This entire camp cannot run smoothly unless its staff members get along and respect each other. I hope each of you understands this. I think you are all wonderful young people and I would hate to be wrong about that." Everyone was silent for a moment, absorbing Iroh's words.
"I'm sorry," Jet said louder, more sincerely, "It must be this fire. I've seen fire cause death and destruction. Sometimes it's hard for me to see past that." Jet stared into the flames, as if in a trance. "You see… my parents died in a house fire." She gasped again for an entirely different reason.
"Damn," Sokka said, reaching over to clap Jet on the back, "I'm sorry dude."
"Thanks," Jet said softly. Then he cleared his throat, "Anyways, I'm really looking forward to working with all of you." There was a murmur of agreement.

A sudden brightening to the fire caught her eye and she glanced down.
"Shit!" she swore and quickly picked up her roasting stick. She must have dropped it when she smacked Jet. By the time she got it out of the fire and blew on it, it was too late. Her marshmallow that had neared golden perfection was now charred.
"Seems like I'm not the only one who likes them burnt," Sokka said with a laugh.
"I'm not sure which way I like them best," Ty chimed in as she ate her second s'mores. "I've never had them before tonight so I'm trying both ways."
"You've never had a s'more before?!" Sokka asked, shocked.
"Uh-huh," Ty confirmed, "My mother was… against them. 'Too much sugar' she always said. Plus, we aren't a very close family."
"Do you have any siblings?" Suki asked.
"Yes," Ty answered.
"You mean there are there more children who have been denied the joys of s'mores?" Sokka asked in horror that was probably 50% real.
"Yeah, I have six identical sisters."
"SIX!"
"Ty Lin, Ty Lat, Ty Lao, Ty Liu, Ty Lum, and Ty Woo." She listed off.
"But why do you go by Ty…?"
"Because I'm the rebellious one," she said with a grin. "It also helps remind me that even though I might have a similar name to my sisters, I can be my own person. I'm more than just part of a set. I had to leave camp early last year to explain that to my family."
"Well," Suki said, "I'm really happy to have met you, Ty." Katara nodded.
"Me too," she said. Ty smiled.

Katara soon restarted her quest for a golden marshmallow and this time she was careful to keep a close eye on it. The time passed quickly. Everyone laughed, joked, and told stories. Jet told a story about his father scaring a pack of hooligans one Halloween after they had attempted to TP his house. It was a hilarious tale complete with a grown man leaping out of bushes. She watched him tell the story. She saw the crinkles in his eyes as he laughed. He was definitely on his best behavior, which was only appropriate after the stunt he had pulled. She couldn't necessarily be cross at him, but he had definitely stepped across the line. She hoped something like that wouldn't happen again.

Even though it'd only been a day, she valued the friendships she started already at the camp. She liked hearing people's stories, how they got to where they are now. Maybe one day she'd be an author and write some of them down.

It was late. Iroh had already turned in, but she wasn't tired. She'd always been a bit of a night owl. However, it appeared Zuko was not. She'd caught him yawning a few times and she wasn't surprised when he stood and stretched.
"I'm going to go." He said quietly, "Goodnight."
"G'Night!" she called after him. She thought she heard Jet say 'wimp,' but hoped it was only the crackling fire.

a/n Hope you liked the chapter! It had a bit of ups and downs but was mainly a bunch of people hanging out. Next chapter starts some real fun :)
Let me know your thoughts on this chapter in a review and thanks for reading!