A/N: I almost forgot to say something about this chapter. The title has a double meaning. Zuko is being haunted by his recently departed friend and he is also being haunted by something else. Can you guess what it is? I wasn't going to finish this story but someone took a chance and favorited and followed it. There is no way I can leave it to perish now...I hope that you can get into this sequel to Blue Spirit Awakens and Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: No one ever really thinks about what happens after you die...-Arendi Otuk

Chapter 4: Zuko's Haunting

"Yes, goodbye Mrs. Chen. Thank you for coming! Same time tomorrow?" Zuko called cordially to the elderly woman who always came at opening hours and left the Jasmine Dragon at closing time.

She didn't leave until her BadgerLyft arrived precisely at 10 p.m. each evening. At first, it was confusing as to why the older woman would sit at her booth which by this time was reserved just for her, and would read her book or sip her favorite green tea blend and eat exactly one pastry an hour.

The first hour would be a mango moon-peach tart, the second, an almond biscuit, the third, a banana nut scone, and so on until she had her blueberry muffin and a cup of chai exactly one hour before her transportation arrived.

Iroh always stopped at her table throughout the day to have small talk and play a game of Pai Sho with her but Mrs. Chen remained in her booth and only got up to go to the ladies' room or to refresh her pastry.

Zuko found her peculiar behavior strangely endearing to him. Perhaps she had always been that kind of customer and had done this in the first Jasmine Dragon and he didn't notice until now.

His life didn't really seem to start until after the death of his father and the end of the torture that was the first sixteen years of his life. Zuko found himself noticing much more about his world than at the first. It seemed the world really was in color rather than the grey he felt for so long.

At the end of their shift, Zuko offered to give Koko a ride home to Suki's surprise. Koko's mother was always the one to pick her up after work when she got off at night. Why was Zuko taking her home this time?

Once again her suspicion radar went up and she wondered if there really was something happening between her cousin and best friend's boyfriend. If there was, there'd be hell to pay. Suki frowned.

How could she say anything to her cousin or Zuko knowing that she wasn't being very honest with Sokka? She sighed deeply knowing that she had to work on her own fidelity issues before she could deal with theirs. Suki watched as Zuko opened the door for Koko who smiled gratefully.

Zuko waited until Koko was fully seated in the car before he closed the door. That seemed innocent enough but… She continued watching until they drove away in the direction of Koko's house. Maybe it really was just an innocent ride home. Suki really hoped for both their sakes it was.

"Do you think Ang will be there when get to your house, I mean? Zuko asked with a slightly shaky voice. The thought of having your dead friend waiting for you would make a guy feel some apprehension. Koko smiled. "

Don't worry Zuko, Ang has been pretty consistent in life and in death. He will probably be there. Though he did seem a little preoccupied the other day. Maybe he found something he needs us to investigate." She said thoughtfully.

Zuko nodded while tapping the steering wheel of his car. He knew there was nothing to be afraid of, but he still thought back to yesterday when Ang appeared in his room and spoke to him. He wondered if maybe he wished too hard for Ang to be there to talk to him. Stranger things have happened.

Koko and Zuko continued to ride in silence the rest of the way to her house. Because Koko took a shortcut through some of the side streets and alleys in the Merchant's Row it only took five minutes for her to walk. During the day the walk is relatively safe. At night it was a totally different look and feel and her parents forbade her to take the route after the first time she did it and she was approached by a strange man who said he just wanted to 'talk'.

Koko never gave him a chance and ran home as fast as she could. After that incident, her parents said she would wait for them to pick her up or she didn't work at all. Koko wasn't complaining. That situation was terrifying, and she didn't want her parents to worry.

Koko's mom was surprised when she called and told her that Zuko was bringing her home. Eri Mori never knew Koko and Zuko to be that close though she knew that Zuko and Ang were. Perhaps they were better friends now that Zuko was working at the teahouse too. The drive to her house was so much longer than walking.

One-way streets, traffic lights, and the roundabout made the drive almost twenty minutes. Once they arrived, Zuko parked on the side of the street facing the family's brownstone home. When Koko opened the door, the Mori's were quite surprised to see Koko at the door with Zuko Azulon-Bei Fong. Koko mentioned that they worked together but they were certain that Zuko already had a girlfriend. What was he doing here with their daughter?

"Koko, and Zuko, you made it! Uh, what brings you here tonight young man? I thought you were just dropping Koko home." Mr. Mori asked with not a little suspicion. Koko sighed rolling her eyes.

"Dad, I asked Zuko to come in for a moment and help me with my computer. It's been on the fritz lately and I want to see if he can fix it." She lied so easily. Zuko kept his face impassive. Mr. Mori, however, was offended.

"Koko, my whole career is fixing computers! Why didn't you just ask me? I would have had it done in a jiffy." Koko gave her father a sarcastic look.

"I didn't ask you because you would have gone in and replaced everything and added all these doohickies, attachments, devices, and additions I didn't ask for which would have taken at least two weeks, and then the computer would have added items to eventually break down, and the cycle continues—" Eri Mori laughed out loud as she walked away. Koko made her point loud and clear.

Ao Mori sighed in defeat and allowed them to go upstairs guiding them with his hand towards the stairwell. "You have twenty minutes. Zuko has a long drive back to his home and I don't want him on the road that late." He said with all the authority of a father protecting his daughter's reputation. Zuko bowed and gave a quick thank you as he followed behind Koko to her room. Zuko chuckled as Koko closed the door to her room.

"I don't know what it is about me and girl's fathers. It's like they all assume I'm living and breathing to repopulate the earth with their daughters." He said. Koko giggled.

"It's not that." She replied still tickled by the thought of Zuko "repopulating the earth".

"You're a handsome guy Zuko, even with the scar. Plus, your scar kinda makes you look like a badass, so you know what that does to fathers…" she added. Zuko smirked.

"Yep, still doesn't help my social life in any way. I'm probably going to be married before there's a father out there willing enough to trust me with their precious angelic baby daughters. Thanks a lot, Dad," he said with all the sarcasm he could muster. Koko laughed out loud.

Zuko realized this was the first time in a while he heard Koko laugh genuinely. Maybe it's because she still has Ang with her even if only for a little while longer. Zuko clapped his hands.

"Ok, so where's your computer?" he said. "We've got to at least look like we're doing what we said I was here to do." Koko nodded. "Well then, it's a good thing my computer really does need some help." She said pointing to her desk in the corner.

"It's been making some crazy grinding noise and right after that it started smoking." She admitted. Zuko jerked to attention.

"Smoking!? Koko! That's dangerous. Was it smoking from the back or front?" he asked with concern. Koko sighed wearily as if already done with her computer and its hellish ways.

"From the back. I got nervous and unplugged it. I have a lot of stuff I wanted to save so that's another reason why I didn't ask my dad to repair it. He may or may not have backed up my files and I would have lost some really important things." She admitted. Zuko began turning the tower around and immediately saw the problem.

"That makes sense, but you should probably invest in an external hard drive to back your files up. I know what the problem is with your computer too. You need a new power supply. Did you recently add some more memory or a graphics card? Usually, that's what happens when the power supply goes out. Can't handle the new power load. Uh, if your dad has an extra one I can replace it now. You want to ask?" he said. Koko looked at the clock.

"I can ask but it's almost time for you to go and my dad is a stickler for that kind of stuff. Do you think you can come back tomorrow? I don't know if Ang's going to show up tonight anymore." She said sadly. Zuko thought about it.

"Ooh, I can't do it tomorrow because I have a date with Katara, but I'll be glad to come over the next night. That way I can have it repaired for you before school starts again next week. Does that work?" he asked. Koko sighed in resolve.

"Yes, thank you for helping me. You found the problem so much quicker than my dad would have. I can wait. I'm just wondering what happened to Ang now." She said with a little sadness. Zuko stood and placed his hand on Koko's shoulder as she did for him earlier that day.

"Hey, no worries. He's not exactly playing by the same rules as us anymore, you know? He'll show up when he's supposed to." He said. Koko smiled and reached for the door. As she turned the knob her father raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Oh," he said. "You're already ready." He looked over at Zuko suspiciously. "Did you find anything wrong with her computer?" he asked with an air of accusation assuming the computer was just a ploy for them to meet up. Zuko nodded.

"Yes sir, she just needs a new power supply. Perhaps some new additions like memory or a graphics card were drawing too much for the wattage and it couldn't handle the drain. If you have an extra one with a higher wattage rating, I can replace it in a couple of days. I have a prior commitment for tomorrow, but I'll gladly come back with your permission." Zuko said putting on his most professional voice.

Ao was shocked. Zuko actually knew what he was talking about? Maybe he was really here to help Koko. Well, he had to trust but verify.

"If Koko is fine with that, then I'm fine with that." He said looking over at his daughter who seemed a little down. He knows how his princess likes things done right away and patience has never been her strong suit.

"It's fine Dad. I appreciate the fact that he found the problem so quickly. I can wait a couple of days." She said. She turned to Zuko and gave a bow.

"Thanks again Zuko. We'll have the part for you by then." She said with a smile. Zuko returned it.

"Of course, I wish I could have done it for you today, but I do need to get home, so my mom doesn't worry. Good night, Mr. Mori, Koko. See you at work tomorrow?" he asked tentatively. Koko nodded.

"Yes, but I'm evening shift. I'll be arriving by the time you and Katara leave for your date." She said with a hint of suggestion and a shimmy. Zuko laughed at her joke and waved before he walked towards the door to follow Mr. Mori out.

Ao couldn't deny that he felt some relief at the mention of Zuko's girlfriend and the fact that they were going on a date tomorrow. Maybe Zuko really was just being a friend and trying to help Koko. He wondered briefly if people judged Zuko this harshly all the time even though his actions showed he was a good guy.

It can be hard to outlive the shadow of your upbringing and your parent's failings sometimes. He thought of the deeds of the deceased Councilman Azulon and knew the boy had overcome a lot just to be this normal. He would try to give him a chance.