Disclaimer: I do NOT own any part of ATLA in any way, shape, or form. I own NOTHING!

Chapter 4:

KATARA

Leaving the caravan was hard. I grew to enjoy their company and that strange way of life. I liked cooking for them. I liked watching their children. I liked treating their injuries. I liked cleaning their clothes. I even liked the cramped wagon rides Zuko detested.

I will miss them, but leaving them is a necessary evil if I want to go home.

Zuko and I go back into the simmering, ash-kissed woods, back to scavenging for our own food and providing only for the two of us (and of course, Momo). We re-establish our old routine relatively easily, but it feels so quiet without the refugees around. It's odd without all the chatter, the rattling wagons, the crying children, and the squawking ostrich-horses.

Zuko is grateful for the quiet, though. He is content with letting silence permeate the air around us for a change. He isn't really one for small talk anyway - at least not lately. I've learned this about him. He is fine with stents of contented silence when I feel like I'm going to explode if it gets too quiet for too long. The others always lacked Zuko's affinity for quiet.

I wonder how long it has been since Sozin's Comet. It feels so long ago now. Everything is so different.

I judge time only by the crater in Zuko's chest. It continues to heal. There is not nearly as much oozing or peeling anymore, but it will leave a nasty scar. Zuko's stamina and vitality continue to improve too, which tells me more time has passed than I realize. He is able to do more advanced firebending forms early in the morning, something I like to observe from the comfort of my sleeping bag.

He starts by facing the still-rising sun and meditating. Then he stretches. After that, he does basic firebending forms before advancing into more complicated moves. Lastly, he finishes with some actual firebending. He shoots it from his fists and his feet, moving it around him in fluid motions. He never burns anything, though. The grass beneath him merely moves as if ruffled by a gentle wind.

Zuko makes firebending look effortless. I once heard him tell Aang that firebending has a lot to do with breathing, and Zuko makes it look as easy as breathing. He is calm and tranquil as he bends.

I resented firebending for a long time. I loathed seeing it, even hearing it. But I grew to admire it when Zuko began teaching Aang. They made it look…different. They made it something graceful and majestic. However, after Sozin's Comet, I hated it again. But Zuko has once again reminded me how it can be, well, beautiful. Every time he bends without singeing a single blade of grass, he shows me how it can be something more than destruction. He looks like a god as he forces it through the tawny, early morning air, as he almost becomes fire itself beneath the slowly rising sun.

I will always hate aspects of the Fire Nation and firebending, but I can no longer hate Zuko. I can't even pretend to hate him. We have been through too much together.

I'm so sick of merchant ships. It feels like we've been jumping on and off them for months, but I'm almost home. Finally. I can tell by the cold and the chill in my bones, even though Zuko and I haven't gotten off the last ship we boarded.

Hidden among the various cargo deep in the vessel's belly, I can even smell home, and it makes me anxious. I am ready for the snow to crunch beneath my boots, but I'm afraid to get my hopes up. I thought we'd reached the South Pole before only to see that it was just another stop along the way and that we would have to sneak onto yet another ship.

Zuko is anxious too, but his anxiety comes from a different place. At first, I don't get why. Then it occurs to me that he hasn't been here since he attacked our village. He hides behind his cowl, practically disappearing into it.

I inch closer to him and take one of his hands in silent reassurance. "I'm gonna explain the circumstances to everyone. It'll all work out."

He looks like he might roll his eyes or scoff at me. I open my mouth to scold him, but before I do, the ship groans to a stop.

We've reached another port.

I drop Zuko's hand, leap to my feet, and climb over the countless boxes of goods and supplies surrounding us. It takes some maneuvering to get to the deck undetected, but stealth is another element we have successfully mastered.

Once my feet hit the cold, hard metal of the ship deck, I almost flip over the railing as I try to gain a view of what I desperately hope is my home. The steel railing is so cold it burns my hands as I lean over the edge.

What I see is familiar but…different. My heart sinks as I remember that those from the north have come here to help restore our tribe. To my shock, they have done a lot in the past year and a half. Our village looks more like the northern tribe now. There are waterways. Larger buildings have been erected. They aren't nearly as big or extravagant as the ones in the Northern Water Tribe but much nicer than what was here when I left. Igloos now stand where tents once slept. Even the wall protecting the village has been expanded, likely to accommodate the new structures and the new population that came from the north.

It's a lot to take in.

The ship belches black smoke as the crew scatters across the deck, shuffling cargo boxes and crates as they go. Zuko tugs at my arm, signaling it is time to go and forcing me to tear my eyes away from the village. A bit clumsily, I regain the will to move. We jump the railing and leap off the side of the ship.

Zuko collides with the snow first then I land on top of him.

"Oof!" he cries as I plop onto his lower abdomen.

He jerks upward from the force, and his head pops against my skull. We both reel from the contact. That jump was a lot higher than I thought it would be.

"Get. Off!" Zuko groans, writhing in pain under me.

Still rubbing my head, I roll off him and into the snow. My breath catches in my throat at the familiar chill kissing my bare palms. I take a handful of icy shards in each hand and squeeze. I close my eyes and take in a deep breath, basking in it.

Home. I'm home.

I cast my attention back to Zuko who has gotten onto his hands and knees. I place a hand on his back as Momo perches himself on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he mumbles as he slowly gets back to his feet. He's holding his lower abdomen, though.

I pull the hood of my cowl back so I don't look as much like an intruder. I lost my old winter clothes when Appa was stolen by the sandbenders, so the closest thing Zuko and I have to winter wear is the cowls and shawls we wore when we went to find Yon Rah. They are black and blatantly suspicious with everyone else clad in purples and blues.

I walk the new pathways to where Gran Gran's tent used to be, still trying to process that this is the home I left behind. There isn't a tent anymore but an igloo.

Pakku probably made it for her, for them...

Gran Gran emerges from inside the igloo, her arms full of furs. She looks at me as if I'm a ghost or some figment of her imagination, and I do the same. I stand there slack-jawed until she drops the furs and holds her arms out for me.

The instant I find Gran Gran's arms, I fall apart again. I burst into tears, holding her tightly and whispering how much I missed her.

I'm so pathetic. I am a shadow of my former self. I can hardly believe what I've been reduced to. I am this broken, shell of a person who cries constantly. I'm like the version of me in that stupid Ember Island Players play, except worse. At least she wasn't so dependent on the company of others, specifically Zuko.

Once I reel in my emotions, she leads me into her new home. I sit on the nearest cushion in the living space, and she joins me. Silently, she takes my hands in hers, and I can't hold it in anymore. I pour my heart out to her, sparing no details. It's like reliving everything all over again, but after I finish, I feel better. Talking to her was yet another part of the grueling healing process.

Gran Gran watches me intently, absorbing everything like a sponge, and doesn't speak until she is sure I'm finished. She comforts me but doesn't ask any difficult questions. She doesn't probe. She will eventually, but for now, she doesn't push, and I'm very grateful for that.

She can probably see how broken I am...

As we sit cross-legged on her furs, I expect her to fill me in on everything that is going on here, but she must think I've been through enough for one day. She's right, but there is one more thing we have to talk about.

"Has the Fire Nation tried to take any children?" I barely muster up the courage to speak those words. I'm afraid of the answer I might get.

"Not that I'm aware of," Gran Gran replies. "Only one child was born on the day of the comet. A little girl. You remember Yanna?"

Yes. Yanna was older than me. She was a nonbender and always wore her hair in a long, loose braid over her right shoulder. She was quiet but a useful member of our broken, little tribe. She wasn't afraid of getting her hands dirty or helping with the children.

"No one knows who the father is. The baby is kind of pale. Some villagers have even suggested she might be half Fire Nation." Gran Gran shrugs. "And Yanna refuses to tell, but it is her right. She doesn't have to explain herself to anyone."

I doubt this child will be our next Avatar. Granted, we'd have no way of knowing that until she is older. But I find it hard to believe a nonbender and possibly a firebender could produce the next Avatar. Odds are the child would be a nonbender or maybe a firebender if the father were indeed Fire Nation.

"Does she still live with her mother?" I ask as I watch Momo sniff the edge of Gran Gran's rug and crawl under it like a badgermole.

"No. Yanna has her own tent now."

I don't have the strength or the willpower to see the baby any time soon, but I resolve to at least speak to Yanna...eventually.

"You can stay here for the night. We'll figure out more permanent arrangements later." Gran Gran rises to her feet. This is her way of telling me that all of this can wait. She wants me to rest, and her statement about arrangements is meant for Zuko.

I assume I'll stay here with Gran Gran, but at some point, Zuko will have to go somewhere else. Perhaps a tent or igloo of his own. I don't know how long he plans to stay here, but I do know it could get messy even if I explain the circumstances to everyone. Zuko is still Ozai's son.

Zuko is still waiting outside Gran Gran's tent in the bright, moon-kissed snow, his breath visible and his eyes weary. His head lifts at the sight of me, and he stumbles to his feet.

"I've explained everything. She says we can stay here tonight and figure out the rest later."

Zuko nods. Beneath the hood, I can see the relief in his features, but as I lead him into the igloo, he is reluctant. He stays close to me, and for a moment, I thought he might even hold my hand.

Gran Gran prepares a large meal for us, and once we are filled to the brim, she fixes bedrolls. I'm not sure if I can sleep, though. I'm worked up and running on the adrenaline of being home.

Gran Gran goes to her cot in the other, more isolated section of her igloo. This room (if it could even be considered that) is also where I'll be attempting to sleep. Zuko, of course, will be in the living area as far away from us as possible without being outside. I doubt he'll complain. He gets to be by the fire.

I lie down, my body insisting that I am tired, but my mind insisting otherwise. I toss and turn for what feels like hours, my mind churning away with all kinds of things. I think about Sokka, Suki, and Toph. I think about the village. I think about the Earth Kingdom. I think about the Phoenix King. I think about the new Avatar. And I think about Aang.

Eventually, I can't take any more of the ruthless churning and get up. I ease into the living area and see Zuko on his back, staring at the ceiling with his hands folded over his stomach.

"Can't sleep?" he asks softly, his head turning toward me.

"No." I kneel between him and the fire. "My thoughts are too loud."

I don't know what I'm expecting. I don't know why I ended up here, but I stare down at him like he can do some kind of magic trick that will put my thoughts to rest, that will fix me.

The next thing I know, I'm in the bedroll with him. There isn't much room. I'm practically on top of him, but I don't care.

Sometimes I worry that I'm not well. I can't help but wonder if I lost my mind back in the Fire Nation.

As I willingly lie next to Zuko and lazily draw circles on the ridged plains of his chest, I think that I've gone mad. It's the only explanation for my behavior. Why else would I willingly curl up next to the man who once terrorized us? Why else would I seek out his embrace when my grief threatens to swallow me whole?

Another part of me insists that that's unfair and shallow. There is much more to Zuko. He is the man who taught Aang firebending and saved my life. He is my friend although our relationship has definitely changed since he jumped in front of that lightning for me. We are closer. Our bond is stronger, more intense.

I rest my ear over his heart and listen to the steady, heavy beating. His head is resting on top of mine. His hand cradles the nape of my neck, the space between his fingers filled with my hair. His warmth blankets me until I am all tingly, numb, and warm with the sensation of safety.

I can feel again. I feel his touch. I smell the cinnamon and spice on his skin. I'm suddenly feeling too much. I'm overdosing on him. I want the warmth. I want the comfort. I like his heat. I like his smell. I like the essence of him because it tethers me to what's left of my sanity.

No. I'm too close. I'll have to break this habit. Now that I'm home, there is no reason for me to continue this behavior. I'm home. I have Gran Gran. We aren't alone anymore. I don't need him like I did before we arrived here. It's time to buck up. No more using Zuko as a crutch.

Remember who you are, Katara.

As I lie thinking all of these things, I nestle closer to the crook of his neck and mold my body to his. My movements coax a small yet deep groan out of him that sends a strange, foreign chill up the back of my neck and down my legs to all of my toes. The sound vibrates through me. And I don't hate it.

One more night… One more night won't hurt anyone.

Home heals me. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed it until I got here. However, home isn't the home I recall. The northern tribe has been here a while now, and they have done a lot for our little village in a short amount of time.

I am shell-shocked by the change. I am numb as I try to process everything that everyone is telling me. Overall, everything is better than it was when I left, so I can't be too upset. It is a change for the better.

Some of those who left for the war have returned, but a lot of individuals from the northern tribe have settled here too. All of them have different reasons for staying. Some want to escape, others want some new purpose in life, and others just want to help.

Zuko says we should be cautious of how much 'restoring' we do because it will not go unnoticed. If our walls grow too high or if our numbers grow large enough to be considered a threat, Ozai will come to strike us down.

Zuko's words ring true, so I am wary of some of our additions. There have already been raids to keep the south in check. While traveling the Earth Kingdom, Zuko and I saw how every city and town was slowly turning into occupied territory like the village where Haru lived. They are all taxed and Firebenders are everywhere, watching and waiting for someone to bend so they might have an excuse to put them away.

It isn't that bad here…yet. Negotiations have already been made. The raids decreased but under the agreement that the Fire Nation raiders had access to the tribe whenever they saw fit. Weapons and supplies are limited to the bare minimum so that the tribe can hunt, fish, and gather supplies. And waterbending is forbidden aside from healing, but of course, bending is still used on hunting trips and for basic tasks. How else would we scavenge the goods they are plundering from us?

The Phoenix King must not find the south much of a threat at this point. That's the only reason he would leave the South Pole unoccupied. I am the last waterbender, and once Ozai finds the new Avatar, he will have little interest left in the South Pole. His sights will be set on the north where there are more waterbenders. No doubt he will continue to order the occasional raid and check-up as he utilizes our exports, but he has much bigger fish to fry.

According to the wanted posters we've seen, Zuko is worth a lot. Apparently, with Aang gone, the Phoenix King now sees Zuko as the greatest threat to the Fire Nation.

The new Avatar is just a baby. It won't be a threat to him for many years yet. But Zuko? Zuko is a different kind of threat. Zuko is the one who could challenge his place on the throne and take it out from under him one day. People will follow Zuko simply because he isn't Ozai. A lot of people hate Ozai enough to love Zuko.

Zuko has power he isn't even aware of. Power he can't utilize right now, but one day, it will mature and could bring the Phoenix King to his knees.

However, not everyone shares my views of Zuko.

At first, everyone was too afraid to approach the subject of Zuko. Maybe they were hoping he would go away, but once they saw he isn't in a hurry to leave, there are questions. I answer them as honestly and effectively as I can. As expected, people aren't happy. The elders from up north say that Zuko is dangerous - a two-headed rat viper. Others say he is a liability and that he will get all of us killed, that even if he is as harmless as I claim he is, harboring him here still endangers us.

They are probably right, but I can't bring myself to care. Zuko is my friend, and I want him here. I am not ready to be without him, and I practically say as much. I take responsibility and declare that we are a packaged deal.

The elders relent, albeit reluctantly. Tarrack - the man from the northern tribe who took on the role of chief in my family's absence - is surprisingly reasonable about the whole thing. He listened to me intently and empathized, but still said that if a raid comes or if Zuko shows any sign of aggression, they'll have no choice but to turn him over to the Phoenix King.

I'm not worried about Zuko's aggression, but the raids are a problem. I don't know what we will do if (or when) the raiders come for exports.

After talking with the elders, Gran Gran and I decide to put Zuko in some of Sokka's old furs. The black he wears makes him even more of a sore thumb. I hope putting him in water tribe attire will ease the transition and some of the tension. Maybe it will make the tribe more accepting.

"They smell funny," Zuko murmurs as he tugs at the white fur around his neck.

"They're Sokka's." I straighten his blue hood and pat out the wrinkles. "What did you expect?"

Zuko wrinkles his nose at the layers and maybe even the colors but wears them nonetheless.

"Want a wolf tail?" I tease.

His nose wrinkles again as he narrows his eyes at me.

"Okay. We'll work our way up to a wolf tail." I smile as I place my hands on my hips and inspect him. He doesn't look bad in blue. It isn't as flattering as his reds and gold but not bad. At a distance, he might pass for a tribesman.

Zuko sighs and reluctantly makes his way out of the igloo. He acts as if he is being thrown to the wolves. Maybe he is, but I am prepared to act as his shield if I need to. I won't let anything happen to Zuko.

Re-immersing myself into this world takes more effort and energy than I thought it would. I don't know if it is because the village has changed or because I've changed. Maybe some odd combination of both. Regardless of the reason, I struggle. I'm not as efficient as I used to be. I haven't forgotten how to cook, sew, or skin animals and fish, but I still have to reteach myself each craft. My bending improved substantially over the past year, but my other skills have dulled as a result. Everyone is patient with me, though, especially Gran Gran.

I help around the village as much as I can. I offer my healing abilities. I tend to the sick and the elderly. I go on hunting and fishing trips since there still aren't many waterbenders around. I do a little of everything, but I still can't bring myself to see the potential Avatar.

I know where she is. I've walked up to the tent where she lives with her mother, Yanna, but I never go in. I never speak. I stand there awkwardly until my throat threatens to swell shut, then I leave shaking and fighting to catch my breath, holding my sides so I literally won't fall apart at the seams.

It feels like betraying Aang, like letting him go, and I can't let him go. There is so much that I refuse to accept. So much that stems from the fact that I just knew Aang was going to save the world. And the fact that he failed just can't be true.

But it is.

Zuko approaches Gran Gran and me with a basket that should be brimming with fish given how long he's been gone. But it isn't. When he pours out the contents, only a few scrawny fish plop onto Gran Gran's mat.

Momo pokes at the fish and sniffs them, but even he doesn't see them as edible.

The men he went fishing with snicker. Zuko's jaw tightens, but he says nothing. He doesn't have to. Instead, he slumps down in the snow next to me and sulks, yanking off his gloves angrily. I'm surprised he didn't burn them off.

Oddly enough, one of the first things that truly amused me after Aang died was Zuko attempting to take on the life of a tribesman. Zuko is a fish out of water (or perhaps coal out of the fire?). He looks at snow like he doesn't understand it, grabbing fistfuls of it only to melt it in his palm. He leaves handprints behind, evaporating the snow around his hands. Sometimes he will burn holes in it or make steam.

It is fascinating to watch him. I find myself smiling. Strange how this is one of the few things that offers me fragments of joy.

My delight comes at his expense, and he notices. His gaze burns holes into me, but I politely gather his tiny fishes and put them back in the basket instead of tossing them out like I should.

"Thank you for the fish, Zuko," I say with a simper.

He snorts and folds his arms over his chest.

Zuko does his best to help out around the village. He tries to prove his worth, but he struggles. He has a lot to learn and sticks close to me most of the time. We continue to do things together. I teach him basic everyday activities, and he seems eager to learn. I've noticed that he likes monotonous tasks that have the ability to absorb all of his attention.

I know that he is trying to escape because I long to escape too.

Despite how our way of life is a constant challenge for him, Zuko likes learning our culture, something that I find encouraging. Someday, if Zuko can find his way back to the Fire Nation throne, it will be good to know that he has experienced life here. Maybe that will help him keep an open mind and make him a better leader.

I gain faith in Zuko. My hopes have been dashed so much that I am afraid to say that I have hope. But for now, faith is enough.

At the end of the day, Zuko and I usually wander off into the tundra together. Sometimes we just take walks. Other times we train and bend. Lately, we look for places to watch the sunset and once we find an acceptable place, we sit and chat there until the cold is too much for us.

Tonight we've found a nice rock ledge near the ocean. It is tall and crooked, but Zuko offers me his hand and helps me up. I could easily get up on my own, but I accept the help anyway, something I was once too stubborn and resentful to do. Touching Zuko is no longer something I avoid like plague. I doubt I will ever get used to his warmth, though. The unnatural heat in his touch almost always gives me goosebumps or makes me shiver. I pray to Tui and La he doesn't notice.

"This reminds me of some of the views we have back home. It's nothing like this, of course, but there are lots of bluffs, crags, and rock formations with amazing views. Mai and I used to go places like this when we wanted to escape the palace for a while…" He lifts his legs to his chest and folds his arms over his knees.

"Do you miss her?" I didn't mean to say it. I only meant to think it, but my mouth betrayed me.

He stares at the blue skyline and the orange expanse stretching out beyond it. He does not answer for a long time. "Yeah. I do. But probably not as much as I should."

My brow furrows. "What do you mean?"

We talk to each other like this a lot now. Our conversations have become strangely intimate. I've learned so much about him. I've learned things I didn't necessarily want to know, things I never dreamed of knowing. But they intrigue me all the same.

He sighs. He isn't a fan of the topic I've chosen. If I'm honest, I'm not either. It makes me feel weird even though I'm curious.

"I owe her a lot, and I wish that I could say that thoughts of her are always with me, but they aren't. When I do think of her, I do miss her, but…it's complicated."

I want to know what he means. I want to crack open his skull and understand the enigma that swirls around inside. He is the most ridiculously complex person I've ever met, and I treat his complexity like a game, like a puzzle to be solved. Maybe it is another way to distract me from the real issues buried in my heart and underneath the soot of our broken world.

"Do you love her?" I blurt out and regret it instantly, but I can't take it back. It's out there.

Zuko flinches and takes a deep breath. "No. I don't think I do. I care about her. A lot. She reminds me of happier times in my life. I think I associated her with the life I always wanted, the life I thought I wanted for so long." He scoffs. "Now I think I've been in love with something that doesn't really exist."

That pain is back, that abundant pain inside of him that becomes so great that it is obvious. It creeps into the wrinkles and creases in his face, and I long to take it away.

Subconsciously, I inch closer to him.

"I feel guilty. I wish that I didn't feel that way. It isn't fair to her. I mean, she's in prison now because of me…" His expression is blank and unreadable, his eyes far away.

I don't think he's ever opened up to me this much, and I feel accomplished. There is a weird sense of pride brewing inside me at the thought of mastering yet another of Zuko's layers. The healer in me insists this is a good thing, that it will help me get rid of all that pain in him.

"I'm talking too much." He shakes his head, snapping out of it.

"I don't mind," I reply honestly. "It's probably good for you to let some of this out. I know you've been holding a lot in."

He nods but grows quiet. He's done. He closes himself off again, but that's fine.

"Speaking of holding a lot in-" he clears his throat "-are we going to talk about the potential Avatar?"

It is my turn to be uncomfortable. I shift on the ground and look away. My emotions threaten to shut down, the darkness in my mind manifesting behind me like some beast bent on destroying the little light left inside me.

"I know where the baby is…" I murmur.

"And?" He leans toward me, but I continue to avoid eye contact.

"I'm not ready."

Zuko sighs and pulls away. "Yeah. Me neither."

We both have very different reasons for not wanting to see this baby. But at the same time, we have similar reasons. We aren't as different as I once thought.

Surrounded by a contented silence, we watch as the sun is swallowed up by the horizon and the sea. The world goes dark and the blue and green southern lights take the sun's place in the sky. The swirls dance above us, weaving through the flickering stars like ethereal snakes. I forgot how beautiful the night is here.

I expect Zuko to get up and leave now that the sun is gone, but he is enamored by the view as I am. When he finally does move, I have no idea how late it is or how much time has passed. We've been out here a while. It is too dark and cold even for me.

Zuko jumps off the ledge and holds his hand out for me again.

I almost refuse. I can get down without it. I don't need it. But I take the offering anyway. I slide down and grab his shoulders to balance myself on the steep, ragged terrain. His hands find my waist and take hold like a purple pentapus.

I look down briefly to make sure my boots connect with the snow beneath us, and when I look up, I realize how close I am to him.

My face burns as I tentatively look up at him, our breath – which is now visible due to the intense cold – mingling together. My hands tighten against the blue fabric covering his shoulders even though my instinct is to pull away.

His eyes glow, but they are a darker gold than normal. They are the rich gold of fire whiskey. They change color, I've learned.

I'm lightheaded. I don't get why.

Taken aback, I stumble backward as I pull away. He lets go of me.

I'm lightheaded. I don't get why.

When we get back, Gran Gran already has dinner ready. She has made some semblance of a meal out of Zuko's tiny fish, something that makes his eyes glow with life and pride. His mouth curves into what could almost be considered a smile.

His enjoyment is contagious. I beam up at him until I feel Gran Gran's eyes on me. My posture droops, shame and embarrassment washing over me.

Gran Gran has been surprisingly understanding and accepting of our guest. Once I explained the situation, I would almost call her grateful. She has continually thanked Zuko for looking after me and making sure I got home. She sees how I want him here and accepts him simply because I care about him. I'm glad they were able to work out their differences, but there is uncertainty and uneasiness in her stare. She watches us with knowing eyes, but I don't know what she knows or what she thinks she sees.

We have a nice peaceful meal together, and like always, Zuko goes to bed early without the sun to fuel him. Momo goes with him. I'm tempted to head for bed too, but Gran Gran stops me.

"Katara…" She takes my hand and gently urges me to sit next to her on some of her nicest furs. "I'd like to talk to you for a moment."

"Okay." I sit.

"About the Fire Prince…"

I pale. My ears and neck burn.

"I understand that the two of you have been through a lot together. I see how you rely on each other, and I am glad he's been with you during this difficult time. Trust and companionship are important. With things the way they are, we need all the allies we can get."

Anxiously, I wait for her 'but' and try not to squirm too much.

She gives me a sad smile. "I've seen how you look at him, my little waterbender."

I try to reel in my emotions and my reaction. "He's my friend, Gran Gran."

"Just…be careful," she whispers, giving my hands a squeeze.

I want her to elaborate, but she says nothing else on the matter. She leaves me alone with her words and my thoughts.

Flustered, I go to the corner of the igloo where Zuko sleeps. I place another small blanket over him and Momo since it is exceptionally cold tonight.

Momo's ears perk at my movements, and I hold a finger to my lips to shush him. Luckily, Momo gets the message and goes back to sleep.

I shift onto my haunches, and I try to get up, but something stops me. Something makes me stay and stare at the Fire Prince.

He's on his side, his long black hair covering most of his eyes and face. I gently brush it away and try to understand the connection we have. I stare at him as if staring enough will give me answers. It doesn't. If anything, it confuses me more. All I can think about is how peaceful and innocent and...handsome he is when he's asleep.

I've been telling everyone that Zuko isn't a threat. And I guess he isn't – at least not in the traditional sense. Gran Gran was implying that he is a different kind of threat now, and I'm the one who's in danger.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!