Previously…

"We probably should get Appa away from the edge like that," Sokka said to Aang. "He sticks out like a sore thumb."

Aang shrugged. "He won't move. I've tried."

Sokka frowned, rubbing his chin. "Huh. That's weird."

"Maybe he's mad at you too," Toph offered. "You did make him fly around all day."

Appa bellowed in response.

"Wait," Aang said, looking towards the ship. "Is that…a water whip?"

Sokka ran beside Aang, eyes desperately trying to focus in the dim lighting.

"Oh my — Katara!" He whooped.

Sure enough, a small dark haired blip stood on the deck of the cruiser, whipping a water tendril around in the air.

"Katara?!" Aang repeated.

Without a second's hesitation, Aang bent himself off the cliffside, sliding down on a large earthen chunk.

"Hey!" Sokka's indignant voice barely reached his ears from above. "Take me with you!"

Seconds later, the Water Tribesman had the earth bender out of her chair and had her taking them down the cliffside as well.


"I swear, that better be Sugar Queen down there! If you made me get up off my chair just to throw us into a fight…" Toph grumbled over the noise of the grinding earth.

The small cruiser slowed as it pulled closer to the rocky shores.

Katara's figure hadn't left the railing since she'd seen her friends. The thought of stepping back, her brother and friends disappearing from her sights for even a second — well, that was something she didn't want to even experience.

At least not until they got on her nerves.

That thought made the grin on her face even wider.

"Sokka!" Katara exclaimed, gripping onto the railing with one hand, waving excitedly with the other.

Sokka's face lit up in relief, hand rising to wave back.

A voice, barely audible to those on the shore, had the water bender glancing behind her shoulder, throwing a thumbs up in response.

Turning to the anchor next, she released a switch, the heavy weight splashing into the shallow waters below.

"I'm going down to them! I'll be back!" She called, launching herself over the bow.

Sokka paled at the girl's move, terror rushing through him.

Sometimes he forgot she was a water bender.

Without batting an eye, she summoned water beneath her, gliding down onto the surface of the sea. Then, pulling tricks from her Painted Lady days, she surfed the short distance to the small rocky shoreline.

"How are you—?!" Sokka exclaimed, while Aang ooh-ed and aah-ed from beside him.

"That's genius!"

Her feet, finally in contact with the earth, stumbled the two steps and instantly threw herself into her brother's arms.

"I missed you guys so much," Katara mumbled into Sokka's shoulder.

Tears pricked at her eyes and her chest tightened, squeezing tighter.

Was he taller? She briefly wondered, her neck slightly craning more than she thought should have been usual.

Or had she just been hugging Zuko enough where she'd forgotten how tall her own brother was?

"I'm sorry," Aang said glumly from beside the siblings. "I shouldn't have went off into that factory…"

"Don't ever disappear on me like that again!" Sokka admonished, arms tightening like she would do just that.

"You're one to talk," she smiled into his shoulder before pulling away to look up into his teary blue eyes.

Turning to Aang next, she beamed, the air bender throwing himself against her with a little grunt, tattooed arms embracing her.

His lean arms gripped tightly around her middle.

"Okay. That's enough sappy stuff for me."

A third familiar voice said.

Toph!

Katara looked to the shorter blind girl, who picked her nails.

"Oh, come here!" She laughed, quickly hugging the girl. "It's good to see you too, Toph."

A small hand patted her back.

"Welcome back sweetness." Toph feigned a yawn. "Thank spirits! Someone who can actually cook! These two about starved me."

Sokka sent Aang an incredulous glance and Katara couldn't help but to grin and laugh again.

Her face hurt with the repetitive motion, but it was the best kind of hurt.

She felt as if she'd not smiled this much in weeks.

"We have a lot to catch up on," Katara said, glancing to the Akagi.

"Yeah!" Aang agreed. Then, as if remembering something, "Hey! I told you I would find her!"

Toph's hand smacked into her face and rubbed down it exasperatedly.

A strangled groan slipped out of her brother's lips and the girl looked between the two curiously.

"What?"

"I-I'll tell you later." Sokka waved his hand dismissively, him too looking to the cruiser ship. "So, where'd you get that ship? It looks so much like Zuko's that we thought —"

"Well, actually—" she bit her lip, thinking about how uncertain and nervous Zuko had been about her friends rejoining them. "It's a long story."

"Does it involve that Lee guy?" Aang asked.

From beside him, Toph felt Katara's heartbeat pick up, ever so slightly, fidgeting in place.

"It definitely does," Toph smirked.

"Who is Lee, anyways?" Sokka asked.

All three sets of eyes — and feet — were trained on the water bender now, staring expectantly.

Katara rubbed the back of her arm, sighing. "Like I said. It's a long story."

Craning her neck to the top of the cliffs, she stared up at Appa and Momo, both peering down at her.

"Is it safe for us to be out in the open like this?" She queried instead, hopeful for a subject change.

Sokka shrugged.

"I'm not sure."

Gnawing her lip, Katara sent a sidelong glance back to the Akagi.

"Let me check in with— uh, my friends," she said. "It may be okay for you all to just ride with us, at least until we get caught up."

Aang frowned. "You're not coming with us?"

Katara accidentally ensnared herself in his gray gaze.

"Uh," she started. "I- let me just talk with them, okay?"

Talk with Zuko, she mentally clarified.

Before they could protest further, she hopped back onto a little ice disk, surfing her way back to the Akagi.

"I'll be back!" She called.

~0~

Katara found Zuko in the mess hall, anxiously pacing back and forth.

His hand paused halfway through his hair, head swiveling to stare at her after she posed her question.

"You want them on the ship?"

Katara's eyes slid to the side shyly, mouth opening.

"Um," she started. "I don't want to get separated from them again. And, we have plenty of rooms and I'm sure they have supplies they can contribute."

Zuko turned to gaze at her.

"You know as well as I do that food and space isn't the big issue."

She balked.

"Do, do you think Gin would be okay with…harboring the Avatar?"

Zuko's good eyebrow shot up in disbelief. "You really think he doesn't already know who you — who we are?"

She shrugged, admittedly having never thought about that.

After a bit more pointless discussion, they climbed their way up the three flights of stairs to the helm.

"Well, was it them?" Gin asked jovially, when the two barged into the helm.

Katara smiled nervously, nodding.

"Are they joining us?" Gin queried, busying himself with some maps splayed out on the table.

"About that," Katara uttered and the elder man glanced up, peering at her in the gap above his glasses.

His eyebrows quirked in question and he pushed his glasses up.

"Your friend is the Avatar, no?"

Her mouth dropped open.

Zuko was right!

"Uh, how," Katara blinked rapidly.

"I'm old, not blind." A smile tugged at his lips. "You think I took the helmsman job randomly?"

The fire bender smirked from beside Katara, waiting for the man to continue.

"My niece approached me not long after you freed her, Katara. She didn't have to spell out who you both were for me to understand. Besides," a teasing glint flashed in his eyes. "it wasn't as if either of you worked extra hard to keep your identities secret."

Katara's mind reeled, shuffling through interactions the three of them had had.

The turtle ducks.

On Fire Fountain.

She withheld a groan, recalling saying Zuko's name.

"Prince Zuko," Gin said evenly. "Might I say, it's been an honor to serve you, sir. I'm pleased to see that you've matured greatly since our last encounter. Your uncle would be proud."

Now it was Zuko's turn for his mouth to drop open, cheeks reddening.

"I wouldn't expect you to remember me," Gin went on. "You were very young and freshly banished. I originally worked beneath Iroh when he was attempting to conquer Ba Sing Se."

Zuko and Katara gawked at one another.

A nervous smile fluttered to Katara's face, Zuko bowing his head in silent thanks.

"So, you're okay with, uh, Aang and my friends coming aboard?"

"I believe they already are." Gin mused, eyes flicking to the edge of the balcony, where something white moved in the small strip of visible decking.

Zuko groaned.

"Don't worry." Katara murmured gently, nudging her friend. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

Neither noticed Gin's little knowing smile at the pair.

~0~

"You guys just made yourselves right at home, didn't you?" Katara walked out onto the deck first, leaving Zuko to wait anxiously just inside the stairwell.

They'd agreed on the way down to let Katara break the news to her friends, gently. Then they could find somewhere to sit and catch up on everything.

She hoped they'd at least let Zuko get a word in before they tried to kill him.

Aang's head shot over to the door, a sheepish look on his face.

"Appa started it, I just followed him."

"Yeah," Sokka chimed in, "And I couldn't let Aang go alone."

Toph leaned against the fluffy white sky bison who made himself comfortable near the bow.

"I just wanted to sit down." She shrugged.

"So, I want you to meet Lee…" she started, walking closer to them. "But you guys have to promise to not freak out."

"Freak out?" Aang frowned. "Why would we freak out?"

Sokka peered at his younger sister, mirroring Aang's confused look.

"No way," Toph said, squinting. "Is that who I think it is?"

Both boys turned to stare at Toph curiously.

"Seriously, just promise me you'll be nice." Katara said again, in a motherly tone.

When she got a bob of both boys' head and a smirky sort of look from Toph, she turned back to the door.

"Alright," She called.

Katara missed the looks of utter shock from both Sokka and Aang, her eyes on Zuko, who nervously took a step out onto the deck, hands in his pockets.

"ZUKO?" The boys exclaimed, drowning out Zuko's husky and albeit a bit sheepish, "Hello."

Laughter erupted out of Toph.

"Oh my spirits! I knew it! So that's why your heart picked up so much!"

Katara's face reddened, hoping - praying - Zuko would be too worried about her friends' reactions to notice that comment.

She barely had time to process the fact that Zuko had almost kissed her…and even less time to think about the fact that she wanted him to.

Very, very badly.

Though she hoped it would be understandable to Zuko why she'd rolled away so urgently.

"What?" Sokka gasped, the same time the air nomad said,

"Zuko? You're with Zuko?"

Zuko crossed his arms defensively, coming to stop beside Katara.

"Are you crazy?" Sokka exclaimed, voice picking up in pitch. "Zuko? You've trusted him enough to travel all this way?!"

"Hold up," Aang interjected. "She never said anything about trusting him."

Katara looked to with a reassuring smile Zuko, rolling her eyes at her friends' reactions.

She had expected as much.

Better to let them get out all their feelings before she tried to get them to see the bigger picture.

"All Zuko's done is hunt us down and try and capture Aang!" Sokka glared at the fire bender, his boomerang in hand.

"Hey! You said you would be nice!" Katara protested, before sighing. "Zuko helped us fight Azula, remember! Aang would not be alive if it wasn't for his uncle!"

Zuko lightly touched Katara, signaling her to stop.

"It's okay, Katara." He said quietly.

"What do you think, Aang?" Sokka said. "You're the one who's suffered the most at his hands!"

Aang frowned uncertainly, throwing his hands up. "I don't know what to believe."

"You once said you thought we could be friends," Zuko said to Aang.

The Avatar's eyes shifted away from the banished prince uncertainly.

"I completely understand why you all are hesitant to trust me. I owe you all an apology." Zuko bowed his head. "Multiple apologies. I've done so many awful things. I was wrong to try to capture and attack you all. I'm truly very sorry."

The way in which the fire bender apologized reminded Katara of something she often forgot - he was a prince, banished or not. There was a tone to his words - and the way he'd carried himself since stepping onto the deck - that showed his upbringing.

As hotheaded as Zuko could be, he clearly remembered how to earnestly apologize. That was something she assumed he had Iroh to thank for.

Graceful apologies were not something she thought would be his tyrannical father's strong suit.

"Zuko's on our side, guys." Katara piped in. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I've seen it first hand. Many times. Will you at least hear him out? Please?"

The Blue Spirit saving her, fighting with her…

Zuko's smile, his embrace…all flashed through her head.

So much had happened in the past month, it made grumpy ponytail-sporting Zuko seem like an entirely different person.

In a way, he was.

Appa got up at the sound of Katara's voice, strolling slowly over to the girl and the fire bender.

With a sniff, he licked both Katara and Zuko multiple times, bellowing happily.

"Appa does seem to like him," Toph mused.

After the second lick from Appa, Aang's demeanor changed, jaw dropping.

"Uh," Zuko wiped slobber off his face, flinging it to the ground. "He may remember me from Ba Sing Se. I was the one who freed him." His dry hand went to scratch his neck, growing uncomfortable at the silent attention from the others.

Sokka scoffed skeptically. "You can't possibly think that any of us will trust you enough to keep you around? You may have my baby sister fooled, but you're not going to-"

"Sokka." Katara spat, glaring daggers. "That's enough."

"How do we know he doesn't have some Lake Laogai thing going on?" Sokka's blue eyes had a crazed glint to them.

Katara held up a hand, fully prepared to freeze his mouth shut. Giving him a last look of warning, he clamped his lips shut, huffing.

She promised Zuko she would keep her friends in check, and she was fully intent on keeping that promise.

"Oh, and I, uh, I can teach fire bending," Zuko offered, his amber eyes flicking to Aang. "To you."

"Toph," she called to the girl, who'd begrudgingly stood up now that her furry backrest had moved. "What do you think about all this? You're probably the most level-headed one right now."

"Hey!" Sokka protested.

Toph raised an eyebrow at the older boy.

"All I know is that Zuko is being sincere." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I wasn't around for a lot of things that happened between you guys. Maybe you two are just letting your hurt and jealous feelings stop you from thinking clearly."

Aang turned red as Zuko's robe at the jealous comment, avoiding Katara's gaze.

"Besides," Toph went on. "We all know that Aang needs a fire bending teacher, just like you need your sister back!" She pointed straight at Sokka. "They show up on a silver platter with potentially another ship for the invasion and both of you are too stubborn to even consider it!"

She threw her hands up in the air, stomping towards the tower.

"I'll be inside, let me know when you guys are ready to stop acting like a bunch of children!"

The sound of the sea lapping against the banks was the only sound for a few moments, before the metal door slammed shut behind her.

"Alright," Aang grumbled, meeting Zuko's gaze. "Toph does have a point."

He sighed, rubbing his short dark hair. Katara's eyes lingered on him, offering him a grateful smile.

"Sokka?" She asked hopefully.

Her brother begrudgingly slid his boomerang into its holder on his back.

"Fine." He glared hard at the scarred boy, before softening his gaze on his sister. "I'll hear your story about what happened the last month."

Katara's expression slipped into one of relief.

"Then and only then will I decide if you're crazy for trusting him."

Katara led the group inside, turning over potential meeting points in her head.

Her first thought was to take them to the large, comfortable couches in their suite, but figured Sokka would have a boar-q-pine at the sight of Zuko sleeping so close to her room.

So she instead took them up the first flight of stairs to the mess hall, where unsurprisingly, Toph had already raided the cabinets for a snack.

She smirked innocently, extending a half-eaten chunk of bread to Aang.

"Hungry?"

Aang made a face, plopping down at one of the benches.

Sokka stopped glaring daggers at Zuko long enough to look around the mess hall and pop his head into the kitchen.

"Quite the setup you got going." He commented, taking a seat beside Aang.

Hunger tinged Katara's stomach, the excitement and nerves having kept the pains at bay for the majority of the evening.

"You guys want some dinner?" She offered, knowing food would hopefully brighten all three boys' spirits.

Aang bobbed his head eagerly. "Please!"

Sokka, on the other hand, still maintained his scary big brother facade, shrugging nonchalantly.

With an uncertain sigh, she glanced to Zuko.

"You want to tell them what happened before we ran into each other while I get started on the food?"

The fire bender scratched his neck awkwardly.

Please don't leave me here with your brother, his look said.

"Please," Sokka leaned back, sweeping his hand to gesture to the bench across from him. "I'm interested to hear this."

Katara shot her friends one more wary glance before heading into the kitchen to try to find something to cook.

In the mess hall, Zuko took a breath, debating on how much to tell them. Katara's identity as the Painted Lady wasn't his secret to tell. So, he started with his escape from Ba Sing Se, his uncle's condition, and their journey across the sea, thanks to the elder man Hideo.

Zuko did his best to explain the white lotus tile and his suspicions to the trio, without divulging enough as to where they'd ask questions that even he didn't know the answers to.

He remained honest in the reason as to why they'd journeyed to the small stilted village.

The Painted Lady.

"You really expect me to believe some river spirit - of a town on a polluted river - healed your uncle, an old Fire Nation general?" Sokka repeated dubiously.

"He's not lying," Toph said from behind Zuko, where she'd taken a seat against the wall at the adjacent table. "Not completely, at least."

Annoyance flicked across the man's face.

What was she, some sort of human lie detector?

"So the Painted Lady just happened to appear to you two?" Aang inquired, managing to not sound as skeptical as he felt.

"He's telling the truth," Katara stepped out of the kitchen, plates balanced in one hand, a pot in the other. "The Painted Lady is a real...person."

She set the plates and pot down on the table.

"I would know, because it was actually me."

Confusion spread over her friend's faces, Toph straightening in her seat, listening intently.

As Katara dished out the sticky rice and vegetables to her friends, she began to tell her side of the story.

"We're going to have to backtrack a bit first, before we get to where Zuko left off…"

Aang's eyes grew as big as saucers, gazing at Katara with what Zuko could only describe as intensified puppy love. He definitely was thoroughly impressed by her tale.

All notions of puppy love seemed to fly right over the brunette's head, however.

Katara seemed to be more interested in the fact that her notoriety as a no-shit taking, Fire Nation-kicking bad-ass had made it all the way to the even the smallest villages, her eyes widening in pleasant surprise when they told her they'd heard about her.

"Let me get this straight," Sokka cut in midway through her telling of the factory's destruction. "You and this Blue Spirit took out the entire factory with stealth and lots of fancy water bending?"

Katara did her best to keep her breathing even, as to not signal her white-lie to Toph.

"Yeah," she resisted the urge to look at Zuko, keeping her steady gaze on her brother. "I don't know who he is, but he's saved me more than once over the past few weeks."

Something akin to suspicion flicked over Aang's face at the first mention of the Blue Spirit.

The answer seemed to mollify her brother, so she continued the update, wondering if Toph would question her later.

She had only just mentioned the pirates taking her necklace when Aang shot up, a huge grin on his face.

"Oh, Katara!" Aang chirped. "I got something for you!"

His hand reached into his cloak, a huge smile overtaking his face. When he pulled out the 'something' in question, she gasped.

Her mother's necklace!

The familiar blue pendant swung ever so slightly, glinting in the torchlight of the mess hall.

"Wha-? How?" Tears of relief pooled in her eyes. "Aang."

Katara got up to give him a massive hug. "Thank you."

The monk beamed ear to ear.

"You're not going to tell her who won it?" Toph queried impatiently from behind them.

Aang shot her a pointed look, Katara pulling away.

Her blue eyes darted over to the earth bender, wiping away remnants of tears.

"Won it?"

Aang motioned for her to sit down, a silent offer to fasten the necklace for her.

As Katara moved her hair out of the way, she noted Zuko's irritated look.

"Yeah," Toph leaned back against the wall, picking her nails. "I won it back for you."

"We scammed a scammer!" Sokka grinned cheekily. "Er, well, multiple scammers!"

Pushing her hair back and fingering the smooth pendant now finally back around her neck, she glanced up to see Aang staring very hard at Zuko.

Katara frowned.

What had they been talking about?

Ah yes, the skeevy vendors.

"You played those games for it?"

"Sure did," Toph smirked.

Aang scratched his neck, a guilty look on his face. He knew Katara wouldn't have wanted them to play if she was there.

Katara raised an eyebrow. "How'd you win? I thought they'd all be impossible to win."

Toph shrugged, kicking her legs out in front of her, crossing them at the ankles. "Those smucks don't expect a blind girl to see right through their crap."

She waved her hand in front of her face, smirking all the while.

"You guys need to be careful," Katara said in a motherly tone, before smiling gently up at Aang. "Though I'm glad you guys were able to get it back for me. Thank you."

Aang visibly relaxed, an easygoing smile on his face.

"How'd that guy get it anyways?" Sokka asked.

"Well," Katara said, feigning attitude. "If you wouldn't have interrupted me."

Zuko worked his jaw from across from Katara.

What had gotten into him? She wondered, trying to catch Zuko's gaze.

She moved to get up and felt Aang withdraw his hands from her shoulders. She'd not even noticed his presence.

Had that been the cause of his sudden irritation?

Katara returned to her seat next to Zuko before continuing the last stretch of her tale.

"And that's pretty much everything. It's been quite the hectic month. And here I thought all the excitement followed you around, Aang."

The air nomad grinned, shrugging. "Maybe it follows you now!"

A surprisingly comfortable silence fell over the group as they processed Katara's story.

"Well," Sokka stretched his arms towards the ceiling. "If its okay with you, I'm going to go to bed. I'm beat."

"You're not even going to apologize for being such a jerk to Zuko?" Katara demanded, a look of annoyance clear across her pretty face.

Sokka's lips pressed together, blue eyes flitting to Zuko.

He huffed. "Fine. Zuko. Thank you for taking care of my baby sister, even though she really didn't need you to."

Katara scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Oh, brother.

He'd come around…or so she hoped.

~0~

Katara got the trio settled in on the barracks level, each teen overjoyed at the prospect of their own real bed. She'd sent Zuko up to the helm to tell Gin if he wanted to remain docked here for the night, that it would probably be fine.

They'd not spoken about their plans for the next few days, and the eclipse was still a handful of days away. It was a matter Katara was more then thankful to worry about the next day.

"Good night," she called down the hallway, smiling softly.

Even though they'd spent a good bit of time being overly difficult, it was so good to have them back.

Sokka hadn't taken the news any better than she thought he would, though she hoped and prayed he'd lay off the attitude tomorrow.

As Katara climbed the stairs to the suite, she allowed thoughts of the afternoon's…incident to resurface.

She had so much fun training with him…being with him in general. And she'd be lying if she said she didn't kick herself for not letting him kiss her, but Appa was right there.

Katara hadn't spent the last month looking for them just to let them fly away!

So she'd felt like she had to roll away, had to act like she didn't know exactly what Zuko's intentions were.

The next time, she hoped that they wouldn't be interrupted.

If there even would be a next time, now that her brother and the others joined them.

Spirits knew Sokka would lose it if he discovered anything going on between the two of them.

She chewed on her lip as she turned the corner to go up the last flight.

Not that there was anything 'going on' in the first place.

Toph would have to lay off the suggestive little comments, lest her brother catch on.

Her body collided into something hard.

Staggering back, she stared wide eyed up at Zuko, his hand clutching his chin.

"I'm sorry!" Katara blurted.

Zuko hissed between his teeth, eyes squinty and hard.

"Are you okay?" she continued, hand coming up to lightly touch his shoulder.

Rubbing his chin, he sighed. "I figured your brother would be the one to try and beat me up, not you."

She frowned sympathetically, peering at his chin.

"I'm fine," he said dismissively, turning to open the door.

The two went inside silently.

Katara rubbed the back of her arm, standing outside her bedroom door. Stifling a yawn, she stretched, feeling her muscles protest from the long day of training.

"Zuko?" She said suddenly, knowing she would feel bad if she didn't say something. "Thank you for dealing with my friends. You could have just dropped me off with them and left to get your uncle, but you didn't."

He turned his head to meet her shy gaze. "They have every right to be hesitant to trust me. I did some awful things, Katara." His voice was raspy. "And I wouldn't just leave you with them. This ship is as much yours as it is mine."

She pressed her lips in a small, understanding smile.

"Good night, Zuko."

~0~

Katara awoke the next morning, eyes blearily cracking open. Shifting beneath the blankets, her core muscles protested.

She'd definitely over-done it yesterday. Her stab wound had healed significantly in the past week, but the muscles around it still managed to uncomfortably pull at the scab that lingered.

Something moved against her neck and she scrunched up her face in confusion, hand going to her throat. When her fingers felt the familiar cool blue pendant, a soft smile replaced the expression.

It was a miracle in and of itself that they had happened upon it.

Stupid greedy pirates.

Soft voices drifted in from outside her room and she sighed, throwing the blanket over her head.

"Katara," Sokka said, outside her door. "Wake up. We need to discuss our plans."

She groaned in response.

He rapped his knuckles on the door, impatiently. "Since when am I the responsible one, up early and ready to discuss strategy?"

"You're always ready to discuss strategy," she retorted, voice muffled.

"Hope you're decent." The door creaked open and his footsteps padded over to the bed, where he promptly ripped off the top cover.

~0~

Zuko's body slid through his fire bending katas. The sun had just crested the horizon and from what he could tell, he was the first one awake; the ship blissfully quiet.

He'd spent the night restlessly tossing and turning. The sudden change in companionship had affected him more then he'd liked.

He liked how things had been - just him and Katara. Gin kept to himself enough where often times he forgot he was there, dutifully captaining their vessel.

Katara's friends would not be the same. That much he was sure of.

His frustration only increased when Aang stepped out onto the deck, calling out to his bison.

So much for his alone time.

The sky bison, Appa, if he recalled correctly, had stayed in nearly the same place at the bow of the ship, silently watching the fire bender with those big brown eyes.

"Are those fire bending forms?" Aang's voice had cut through the concentration Zuko only just regained.

Zuko flared his nostrils, straightening. "Yes."

"That's cool," Aang replied cheerfully, staring with childlike curiosity.

After a few seconds of silence, Zuko made himself take a calming breath. His body relaxed back into the low lunge, arms methodically moving alongside his kicks and steps.

"So, did you mean what you said last night? About teaching me fire bending?"

Zuko's movements faltered, but he didn't allow the distraction to stop him for a second time.

"Yes." He turned around and began the same pattern of moves in the opposite direction. "I know I didn't explain my reasons for…for helping you, in Ba Sing Se yesterday. I spent so long trying to regain my honor, something I thought for so long would be lost unless I returned you to my father…" his punch sliced powerfully through the air. "I just want to play my part to end this war and I believe teaching you fire bending would be a step in the right direction to restore balance."

Aang's expression softened more, though Zuko didn't know how it was even possible.

"You think I can learn enough in time for the eclipse? In case I need it after it passes?"

Zuko's eyebrow quirked skeptically.

"No."

Aang's shoulders fell.

"But if your plan for the eclipse fails, you will need to learn anyways."

The tattooed boy nodded solemnly.

Zuko wiped a bead of sweat off his brow, moving towards the rail.

"So, does that mean you're going to join us?" Aang asked. "Help us on the eclipse?"

Iroh, rotting away in some cell, flashed behind Zuko's eyes.

The prince's head fell forward, rubbing his temples.

"I have...other priorities to take care of, first."

Zuko stole a sidelong glance at the youth. His lips were set in a line and he was nodding.

He…wasn't mad?

"Like what?"

Zuko raked his hand through his hair, eyes cast across the sea. "Like rescuing my uncle. He was captured by Azula, on her quest to capture me."

~0~

"We need to start heading to the Black Cliffs, Katara. We're meeting Dad and the others there tomorrow."

Katara trudged down the stairs towards the mess hall, her brother hot on her heels.

Since when had he became so responsible, so task oriented?

"Dad?"

Her brain racked trying remember the majority of the plan's details. She'd not been around when they'd made the plans, from what she could remember, often busy with Aang in multiple healing sessions.

Between that and her then irritation with her father, she'd kept her mind quite busy.

"We planned a smaller invasion with Dad, Bato, Pipsqueak and the Duke, remember?"

The sea beast capsizing the opposing Fire Naval vessel flashed in her mind, then her father's arms around her.

Something caught in her chest.

"Kind of," she murmured.

As they rounded the corner and went into the mess hall, she paused. "Wait, we're meeting them there tomorrow? I thought we had a few days still."

Sokka meh'd from behind her.

"We're ahead of schedule, now that we have the ship."

Zuko's comment on the Akagi came to mind.

"We may not have the Akagi for the eclipse, Sokka. We'll have to talk to Zuko."

She rolled her eyes. Why was that concept so hard for him to grasp?

"Why wouldn't Zuko be here for the eclipse? If he wants to prove himself so badly, he'll stick around to help. No one will know the line of defenses better then the banished prince of the Fire Nation."

Katara pulled a pot off the back wall in the kitchen, stomach growling.

"There's someone else that needs his help."

~0~

The morning passed without much attitude, much to Katara's pleasant surprise. The five of them sat at one of the mess hall tables, Zuko and Katara on one side, with Sokka, Toph and Aang on the other.

Aang, combined with the occasional input from Toph and Sokka, told them about their past month without Katara.

From what she could tell, they had traveled to many of the same cities throughout the Fire Nation, blissfully unaware at the time that Katara was only a little way ahead of them.

"Oh yeah," Sokka piped up during their tale about Shu Jing. "Why were you guys at Piandao's?"

Katara shot a proud smile to Zuko, explaining. "Zuko trained beneath him when he was a kid. I kind of talked him into going back to visit."

Zuko blushed, grumbling embarrassingly.

"You're a swordsmen?" Sokka mumbled, midway through chewing his breakfast. "But you're a fire bender."

The fire bender averted his gaze with a tiny shrug.

"I've seen him!" Aang blurted, much to Zuko's dismay. "He's really good!"

Katara considered Aang's admission, withholding a frown.

Had Aang known Zuko's secret identity as the Blue Spirit all this time?

She thought back to the time they were sick, Aang journeying off on his own to retrieve frozen frogs for them to suck on.

Blue eyes slid across the table to meet Aang's, questioningly.

Zuko was saved from further questioning, much to his relief, by Toph who continued their story.

After everyone was caught up, Sokka leveled his gaze on Zuko.

"Katara tells me you're not going to help us with the invasion," his tone was more accusing then Katara would have liked it to be, but Zuko took the thinly veiled barb with grace.

"We will have to see," he said smoothly, meeting the younger warrior's gaze. "My uncle was captured. I intend to rescue him. I assume that most of the soldiers guarding the prison will be distracted on news of the approaching invasion."

Sokka's lips pressed into a thin line, mulling over the reasoning.

He looked so much like their father.

"Can we count on your support after?"

Zuko's head inclined, still holding Sokka's gaze.

Sokka broke the connection first, finger thumping a map on the table. "The Black Cliffs are a few hours away. It should be plenty of room to hide our naval forces until the day of the attack. I spoke with Gin earlier this morning and with your approval, we'll head that way."

Katara's face brightened at the comment.

"I'm more then happy to accompany you all to the cliffs." Zuko said evenly. "I've yet to decide how I plan on getting to the prison, anyways."

Katara smiled, partially at the cordiality they both were displaying, partially at the news that she'd get to spend more time with Zuko.

Yeah, she'd admit it. She was happy to spend more time with the fire bender.

"What's got you all in a tizzy, sweetness?"

Her head whipped around to glare at Toph.

Toph didn't have to have vision to know her words had struck a nerve, a smirk widening across the earth bender's face.

"What is she talking about?" Sokka wondered obliviously, looking from one girl to the other.

"I just swallowed my food wrong," Katara said through clenched teeth, eyes pinned on the younger girl.

Toph snickered.

Katara's foot lashed out from beneath the table, making contact with a shin.

"Ow!" Aang yelped, lurching back.

Katara scowl deepened, crossing her arms across her chest. Toph's snickering only grew louder, knowing that missing her mark would only piss her off more.

Avoiding eye contact with the whole group, she pushed herself to her feet.

"I'll go tell Gin, then." She snipped, the earth bender having momentarily ruined her mood.

~0~

Massive, green topped cliffs came into view. The wind she'd grown so used to whipping her hair around her face slowed. The Akagi floated into the circular bay of the Black Cliffs.

"This is perfect," she breathed, turning to smile at Aang, who leaned against the doorframe. "I can't believe you found this on the map, Sokka."

The massive cliffside curled into a semi circle on either side of the bay's entrance, making the cove nearly impossible to see from down the shoreline in either direction.

It had taken Gin slowly sailing in at an angle for them to discover the location.

"Hopefully Dad won't flip when he sees this Fire Nation cruiser docked in here," Sokka replied from inside, leaning over Gin's maps.

He'd taken to studying them with great fascination, eager to learn to read the variety of oceanic maps at different scales with the ease Gin did.

The thought of seeing her father sent a bittersweet feeling through her. On one hand, she was overjoyed to see him and hug him, but on the other, leaving him again would be so hard. The fact that they were reuniting right before they launched an invasion on the Fire Nation capital easily sullied any form of true excitement.

So much could go wrong.

It left an uneasy feeling in its place.

"I guess," she settled with, turning to walk back inside.

"Gin," Aang addressed the helmsman with a serious look. "I want to thank you again for agreeing to take us this far. Katara said you were headed to see your family."

Gin inclined his head. "This war has taken so much from so many people. It is long past time it ended."

I hope the invasion doesn't prevent him from getting to see his family, Katara thought. Perhaps we can send him on ahead with ample time to get into the city.

"I can't wait to be off this boat and on some earth!" Toph exclaimed.

"You'll be off and bending in no time," Katara retorted evenly, still peeved at Toph's previous comment.

"Yeah!" Aang chirped. "You can help me bend the docks for all the ships!"

Zuko, who'd been silently sitting at the same table with the maps, observed the group with veiled interest. He'd listened to Sokka's plan.

It actually might just work, with a little willpower.

Though with the knowledge that Azula had forewarned the nation, he assumed it wouldn't be smooth sailing.

The gears in his mind whirred, trying to divulge a plan that would be as close to foolproof as possible. He didn't need to be thrown into the very prison he wanted to free his uncle from.

An idea made its way to the surface and he pulled back the top layer of maps to reveal a close up of the capital.

Gin wasn't the only one who would benefit getting into the city with ample time before the eclipse…

Zuko's eyes raked across the sketched landscape.

A small crater, sketched in the north-west corner of the map, past the capital, drew his attention.

The prison.

It would be where they would keep his uncle.

"Is that the prison?"

A tanned slender finger moved in front of the map.

Turning his gaze, his eyes lingered on Katara, who was curiously looking back.

Zuko nodded solemnly.

"This is the capital," his finger circled a large crater in the center of the map. "The Royal Plaza, this stretch of concrete here," he gestured to the long line pointed toward the capital. "Is the only way in or out from the sea. Harbor City is just beyond that."

"How are you going to get to the prison?" Sokka asked, and both of their heads swiveled to look at him.

Zuko tapped the map with one finger, a confident smile spreading across his face.

He had a plan of his own, now.