I'll watch over you

AN at the bottom

Zuko watched his girlfriend with empathy and amusement. With the comet only three days away, fire twitched in both his and Kameko's veins. Seventeen years of practice had taught him self-control but Kameko had no such discipline over herself. She'd woken up in tears before sunrise and had been energetic ever since. Kunai had one arm around her daughter's waist, trying to keep the little girl in one place.

"Kameko! For Agni's sake, sit down!" Kunai groaned.

Kameko mewled and plopped next to her mother, rocking back and forth and playing with her rice. Kunai looked over and contemplated telling her not to play with her food. Instead, she sighed and turned back to the group.

"Aang and I still have some work to do," she said.

"He needs to work on firebending," Zuko said.

"You guys have been drilling firebending for the past week," Toph said.

"She's right," Kunai said. "Aang's been doing pretty well in firebending. I can work with him- Kameko stop that- but he needs- sit down! - some more comprehensive training with- don't put that in your mouth! - the rest of us."

Zuko nodded. "Okay, fine." He glanced down at Kameko, who was squeezing handfuls of rice and bouncing on her knees. He thought back to one particularly hot summer when he was six. He'd been surging with energy and agitation so Ozai made him practice firebending for three hours straight. He had held a steady smolder on a leaf for an hour and done fire ball combinations until he'd fell asleep standing up(me and my cousin did this all the time when we were little) and had to be carried home.

"Kunai, I can take her to burn off some energy," Zuko said.

"Really?" Kunai asked, hauling the little girl into her lap with one arm. "How?"

"I can take her to do some firebending, and she'll be much calmer."

Kunai sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Zuko, I don't want her training at three."

Zuko frowned and slowly shook his head. "It won't be training. Just teaching her a few forms and giving her an outlet."

Kunai bit her lip and thought for a moment before sighing and looking down at Kameko. "Do you wanna go do some firebending with Zuko?"

Kameko squealed and clapped. She crawled out of Kunai's arms and jumped into Zuko's lap. "Let's go! Let's go now!" she cried.

"Ok, ok!" Kunai laughed. She looked up at Zuko. "Why don't you take her on a walk while we train. Back in an hour?"

"Sure. Ready to go Kameko?"

Kameko giggled and hopped to her feet, nodding and bouncing on her toes. Zuko smiled and stood up, setting her on the ground and taking her hand in his.

"No longer than an hour though!" Kunai called as they walked off. She sighed happily, losing herself in thought until Toph shoved her.

"Hey Mama Bear! I said, let's go. We still need to beat Twinkle Toes into success."

"Oh! Sorry, let's go."

"Show me what firebending you already know," Zuko said once they reached a clearing.

Kameko nodded and put her fists out in front of her. She clenched them tight and scowled until sparks erupted from her knuckles and fell to the ground with a dull hiss. She smiled at him, pleading for praise.

Zuko smirked. "That was good," he said, earning an even wider grin from the toddler. He knelt in front of her. "Hold your hands out so I can teach you how to make a flame." He took her hands in his and cupped them together.

Then it happened.

A low growl vibrated from the brush, accompanied by a scratching sound.

"Mr. Zuko, what's that?"

Zuko looked around. He couldn't discern anything at first but looking closely, he found a pair of golden eyes staring at him from the bushes. The creature slunk from the foliage with a quiet, ominous rustle. The first thing that appeared was a pair of large, golden eyes. Next a snout, covered in thick brown fur. Another menacing snarl resonated through the forest and a pair of glistening white fangs glinted in the light. As it rose to its full height, it towered over Zuko, its head brushing the canopy. It stepped forward, placing a large paw on the ground and extending long, sharp claws. It was an armadillo-lion.

Kameko looked between Zuko and the creature encroaching upon them, shrinking into his chest and tightening her grip around his neck. "Mr. Zuko, what's that?" she asked.

"Shh. Kameko, stay still," Zuko whispered. He glanced over his shoulder. The house wasn't that far."Kameko… I'm going to put you down and you're going to run that way."

She whimpered and nodded. Ever so slowly, never taking his eyes off the creature, he lowered Kameko to the ground and set her down.

"When I count to three, you're going to run. One. Two." He took a deep breath. "Three!"

He jumped towards the beast with a wave of fire. It snarled and raised up on its hind legs, swiping just above his head. He ducked beneath its claws.

Kameko froze a few feet from him, screaming at the top of her lungs. The beast and Zuko both noticed her at the same time. The armadillo-lion rose up on its hind legs, its paw poised above its head, ready to strike. Thoughtlessly, Zuko threw himself in front of her. The beast stumbled back, but as it landed, its paws sliced through the front of his thigh. Zuko grunted, gripping his bloodied leg. He turned back to Kameko and pointed.

"Go!"

"But-"

"I'll be fine! Go get your Mom, Kameko." He looked back at the growling beast, pawing the ground and readying itself to attack once more. He hated lying. "It'll be ok."

Finally, the little girl took off through the trees. Satisfied that Kameko was safe, Zuko turned his full attention to saving his own life. The creature charged at him, and rolled out of the way. He pulled himself to his feet, limping on his injured leg. He tried a wave a fire, his attack easily blocked by the creature's tough shell.

Hopefully, Kameko could run fast.

"No resting, Twinkle Toes! We've still got work to do!" Toph shouted, sending vibrations through the earth as she stomped her foot.

"Please!" Aang whined, collapsing onto his back.

"Come on Toph, give him a break," Katara said.

"You baby him, Katara." Sokka mumbled around a mouthful of jerky. "Look at Kunai. She's still ready for, like, ten more rounds."

"Actually…how about….we take five," Kunai said, bent over and bracing herself on her knees.

Toph groaned. "You guys are weak."

Kunai opened her mouth to protest when she heard a piercing scream from the woods. "What the-"

She stopped short when she saw the toddler barreling towards her, reddened face covered in tears. Kunai ran to Kameko and fell to her knees, pulling the little girl into her arms.

"What happened? Are you okay? Where's Zuko?" Kunai interrogated the little girl as she looked her over her body. For a moment, she thought to herself, he wouldn't be the first powerful man to take a little girl alone in the woods. A scowl marred her face and she began to shake, rage boiling in her heart at the mere thought. If she were to fail at protecting her baby, then she wouldn't let her daughter live in the constant fear knowing that the man who broke her was still lurking somewhere on earth.

"Mr. Zuko is fighting a monster and he told me to run and get you!" she said.

"A monster?" Suki repeated.

"It was a big scary monster, and it came out of the bushes," Kameko said.

Kunai looked out to the woods then to her daughter. She scooped the little girl into her arms. "You guys have to find him," she said before hurrying inside, whispering into Kameko's ear.

Sokka pulled out his boomerang. "Follow me."

He started into the woods, the rest of the gang close behind him. Toph scowled and slammed her foot into the ground. "He's this way!" she shouted and started running. Sokka shushed her and placed a finger on his lips, motioning for them to follow him. He led them stealthily, stepping gingerly over rocks, sticks and roots. He held his boomerang out if front of him, stopping every once in a while to look around, look back to Toph for directions and readjusting his grip on his boomerang. The group journeyed through the woods until they came into a clearing. Time stood still as they all took in the situation.

In the clearing lay the charred corpse of the armadillo-lion. Beneath it, one pale arm stuck out, bent backwards and covered in burns and scratches. Toph slammed her foot into the ground, raising the a pillar of earth and hurling the dead creature away. The rest of the gang ran to Zuko's side.

"Come on, buddy! Stay with us," Sokka said, tapping Zuko's cheek. Zuko groaned and opened his eyes.

"Kameko…"

"Don't worry, she's fine," Suki said with a forced smile.

Katara drew her water from her water skin, running her hands over his torso. "He's taken a lot of damage," she said, pressing her hands onto his torso until the water glowed blue. "I'll need more water than this. We need to get him to the fountain." She pulled her hands away, guiding what water she had left back into her water skin.

Sokka nodded and put his hand around Zuko's waist, hefting him up on his shoulder. "Aang!" Sokka called, stumbling sideways.

Aang grabbed Zuko's other arm and draped it over his shoulder. "We've got you!"

The two boys carried Zuko back to the house, treading carefully, trying to keep him upright and out of the path of branches while walking as fast as possible. They sighed when they came through the woods to the courtyard, using their second wind to rush towards the fountain and place him down. Katara gloved her hands with water and placed them on his torso. When the water began to glow blue, she closed her eyes and sighed. "It seems like he's got a broken rib, a lot of bruising, and a broken arm, but I should be able to heal him."

Kunai came rushing to the entrance of the courtyard. The color fell from her face and for a moment, she froze in place. But when the shock wore off, she ran to his side, collapsing to her knees.

"Zuko," she breathed, brushing her fingertips across his cheek. He groaned, tilting his head. Kunai looked to Katara. "What can I do?"

Katara motioned with her chin. "Set the bone in his arm. It's badly broken."

Kunai coated her hands with water and ran them over his arm, bearing a determined gaze. She worked the bone diligently. Her mind did not stray. No one stood over her instructing her. She wasn't expecting someone to shove her out of the way and take over. She'd never healed better. They did not speak for hours. Every once in a while, one of the girls would point to a different spot or nod, having done all they could do in one spot, but they did not talk. Kunai was too tense, too focused, too intent on channeling her worry, pain and confusion into something more constructive. Katara would not dare break the older girl's concentration out of respect.

By the time they pulled away, having exhausted all their abilities, the sun had set and the sky was turning from a dark blue to black. They called the boys over from where they sat silently on the lip of the fountain. They carried the unconscious young man to his room. Kunai pulled back the covers and once everyone had left the room, tucked the blankets tight beneath his chin and sat beside him, stroking his cheek and brushing his hair. After a silent hour, he began to stir. He opened his eyes to see Kunai's sad smile.

"Hey, sleepyhead," she whispered.

"What…" he began as he pushed up on his elbows, groaning as he struggled to sit up. Soreness permeated every muscle of his body. The pain stirred up the memory of the incident. He sighed and dropped his head. "Kunai-"

"What happened out there?" she asked.

Zuko kept his head down, unable to make himself look at her. "We ran into an armadillo-lion. I told Kameko to run so I could fight it off but…" He scratched the back of his neck. "Is she okay?" he asked, his voice cracking. When she didn't answer, he looked up at her. She was staring at him with an odd expression, her mouth hanging open her eyes focused on his, thoughtful and without warning she wrapped him in her arms, holding his head against her shoulder. "She's fine… she's perfect," she whispered.

Zuko struggled to hold her in return. "You're not upset?"

Kunai scoffed, pulling back with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Upset?" she asked. "You nearly died to keep her safe! Why would you think I was upset?" She let out a dry, humorless chuckle, shaking her head.

Zuko furrowed his brow. "But I put her in danger. I was supposed to protect her and-"

"You didn't put her in danger!" Kunai retorted. She wiped her eyes. "You saved her life. I couldn't ask for someone to treat her better than that."

Zuko watched her closely. Her expressions changed rapidly, reflecting her thoughts. He was tempted to say something, but he stayed silent.

"I was always worried… she'd only have me in her life. I, at least, had my brother. But… she has you." She chose her words carefully. Before he had proper time to think, a familiar cry rang through the house, piquingKunai's attention. She gave him a glance promising she'd be back as she left. Zuko sat back in his bed and sighed, losing himself in an array of pointless thoughts, listening as the cries grew quieter and quieter until they vanished altogether. He imagined her holding the little girl, whispering in her ear and stroking her back with a genuine, natural, nurturing spirit. The faint memory of his mother was the only thing that could match such tenderness.

He tore himself from that memory when he saw Kunai coming into the doorway. He looked up and drew back, noticing her confused, anxious expression. She bit her lip and looked to the bundle in her arms. Wordlessly, she went over to him and placed the little girl in his lap. Kameko mewled and whined, curling into his chest, sucking her thumb, and gripping his shirt. He placed an arm around her, stroking her back until her eyelids grew heavy, and she stilled, whimpering and tugging his shirt infrequently until she fell asleep. When he was sure she was wouldn't wake, he turned to Kunai, who was sitting at his side with her head down, as if to avoid the inevitable question.

"What's wrong?"

Kunai pursed her lips. "It's nothing."

"What's wrong?" he demanded. Her cheeks flushed and her hands curled into fists and opened again. She gulped, searching for the words.

"When I went to check on Kameko she told me…" She sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. "She told me she wanted to see her Daddy, and when I asked who that was she said you." She spewed the sentence in one continuous stream, then grew silent, waiting for whatever backlash she would receive.

Scarlet rose up Zuko's neck. "Daddy?" he choked, hoping he'd heard her wrong.

She nodded, running a hand through her hair. She glanced over at him as he combed through his thoughts. The idea that an innocent little girl had decided he was her father was… terrifying. He couldn't imagine why anyone would ever see him in such a momentous light. The gravity and responsibility was a suffocating weight on his chest. He wouldn't, couldn't, be held to such a standard.

"Zuko! Zuko, calm down!"

Zuko looked over at Kunai with her hands wrapped tight around his biceps. He realized he's been clenching his jaw and gripping his fists. He looked down at his hands as he relaxed them, watching the blood rush and the indentations of his nails begin to fill out.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to freak you out like that. It's just-" Kunai groaned and dropped her arms to her sides. "She just really looks up to you."

"Why? Why would she look up to me?" Zuko asked.

"Because you're the only man in her life right now," Kunai said. She let out a heavy breath, closed her eyes, and dropped her shoulders. "You treat us so well, and she picks up on that. You're the closest thing to a father she'll ever have." While she was quiet, an undeniable strength hid beneath her voice. It was the sort of toughness she only developed when it involved her daughter, a certain unbreakable stubbornness.

Zuko's confusion sank to despair, his eyes begging for her to understand. "But I can't be a father." The word tasted bitter on his tongue.

"Why not?"

Zuko dropped his head. "Because I'll be just like Ozai."

"Oh Zuko…" Kunai said. She placed a hand on his cheek, turning his face to look at her. "Listen to me. You are nothing like Ozai. You're kind and loving and gentle, and you have such a good heart. I couldn't ask for a better man in my life."

"But I've done such terrible things and-"

"Everyone has a past they're not proud of. I know that better than anyone, but that doesn't make you any less amazing." She smiled and stroked his jaw with her thumb.

Zuko sighed in defeat, leaning into her warm touch. Kunai's smile faded as she looked back to her sleeping daughter. "So what do you want me to tell her?"

Zuko gazed down at the child, her round cheeks nestled against her hands, her eyelashes fluttering on her cheeks. He was sent back to the first time he'd seen Kunai. He loved her, and he guessed that at some point, he'd grown to love this child too.

"Nothing," Zuko said. "Don't tell her anything. If she wants to call me that…" He looked down at the sleeping bundle and ran his knuckle across her cheek. Terror pulsed in every vein and struck him to his core, but he had a responsibility, a title to live up to.

Kunai stayed quiet, but her heart swelled and tears welled in her eyes. She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and kissed him, smiling against his lips as they parted. "I love you. You know that right?"

Zuko nodded, the ghost of a smile turning the edges of his lips. "I love you, too."

Kunai wrapped her arms around his middle and laid her head against his chest. "You remind me a lot of my brother."

"You haven't told me much about him."

A nostalgic, distant smile came across her face. "He raised me since I was six. He was intelligent and wise and he taught me how to survive after our parents died. I don't think I ever thanked him enough for that."

"What happened to him?"

Her smiled dropped. "He was killed in battle when he was nineteen," she said, careful not to surrender herself to her emotions. "His title was the Great Dragon and a few weeks before he died, I got my first tattoo." She pointed to the relatively small red dragon on her left shoulder. "I figured I was thirteen, I was pretty much an adult so I could do whatever I wanted. He was so mad at me." She laughed. Her laugh died, leaving behind a small smile. "After he died, I had the rest of them done to remember him by. I was supposed to take his place as the Grand Dragon when I turned eighteen. " She was silent for a long time before she exhaled and smiled. "I think he would have really liked you."

"You think?" Zuko asked with genuine surprise.

"Mm hmm," she mumbled, her eyes drifting closed.

"Are you falling asleep?"

"Nope… just resting my eyes is all." She exhaled and her body relaxed. Zuko smiled and kissed her on the head. He stayed awake for another hour, running his fingers through Kunai's hair and watching as Kameko pawed the air and mumbled to herself in her sleep. Finally, fatigue overwhelmed him and he let his eyes fall closed, giving up the last conscious moment of peace he had before everything changed the next day.

Kunai awoke on a bed of damp, thick leaves. They cushioned her and stuck to her skin. At first, she thought she was dreaming, but as the haze of sleep lifted, reality sunk in. She looked around. The terrain around her was made of thick, green vines, and huge billowing leaves and flowers that dwarfed her and only allowed a meager amount of sunlight pass through, unlike the small, delicate foliage that grew in the Fire Nation. The ground was hard and did not surrender to her bending. It was softer than stone, harder than wood and appeared to be carved with random, intricate designs.

"Hello?" she called, the only response her own dull echo. "Where the hell am I?" she mumbled, taking a few steps. Then she remembered Kameko, the comet, the impending war, and her heart sank. She shot through the treetops with a burst of air, and then climbed up through the canopy, looking for a vantage point. Her heart plummeted when she saw nothing but ocean and more of the strange island she was stuck on. She could try to swim but she had no idea which direction to go.

She climbed back down and collapsed onto the ground, clutching her chest as she began to hyperventilate. As her breaths grew more irregular and her heartbeat wilder, she found herself on the verge of a panic attack, something that hadn't plagued her for nearly a year. Feeling herself grow lightheaded, she tried to calm herself as Aang had taught her, sitting cross legged and trying to control her breaths. Her hands shook and her chest ached but she tried to keep her focus on controlling her breathing, and finally, she felt relief as her heartbeat slowed and the feeling of impending doom fell away. She imagined sitting with Aang in the crevice beneath the cliff, breathing in the salty air.

"The spirit world is the key to guidance and peace."

She remembered his words, seemingly pointless and impractical. She dismissed the thought and climbed to her feet, running in a random direction. She didn't know what exactly she was looking for but she kept running, the whipping wind and adrenaline keeping terrified tears from falling. She ran to the edge of the island and stared over in awe. It was a twenty foot drop down to the water at least, as if the island hadn't been formed naturally, rather it was floating above the ocean itself. The water around the island swirled and raged wildly. Were she to attempt to swim away, she'd be swept up by the current. It was a death sentence.

She collapsed to her knees, clutching her chest. She was almost out of options. It was then that Aang's words penetrated her thoughts once again. It was a ridiculous notion, to turn to the vague, fruitless teaching of a twelve year old at a time like this. However, the thought was nagging and she had nowhere else to turn.

"Aang, this better work," she murmured and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure how or when, but she felt... something. She felt weightless, yet like she was falling. When she opened her eyes she was sitting atop a lush, grassy hill in the very center of a swamp. Thick green water flowed in lazy steams on the ground. Inarticulate voices echoed from nowhere. Strange, elusive creatures bounded from branch to branch, barely seen. There was no sun, no sky, only a gray abyss. Thoughtlessly, she reached out her hand as if she could touch that endless expanse and pull herself back down to Earth. However, it seemed just out of her reach.

She sat motionless for a second as she tried to comprehend the world around her. She eased onto her feet, and looked around. She took slow, aimless steps forward and walked into the swamps of the Spirit World.

Just so you know, the AN on the next chapter may not make too much sense because I wrote it thinking it was this chapter and yeah, it may be weird. But most of it's true,. There will be only 12 chapters to this installment of Secrets She Kept and then were are moving on to the final part of our trilogy Secrets She kept: Beneath Our Silken Sheets. It will be an entirely new set of issues and problems for our couple! Also, check out my blog. We'll be updating every Friday with short stories and other dialogues. You can find it at .com. Thanks so much guys! And very sorry for the hiatus!