Sam

"You want me to spar with you? Zuko, you are WAAAAY better at firebending than I am! You'll wipe the floor with me!" I said, astonished he would ask such a silly thing.

He laughed, amused, "Well, I'm curious about what you can do."

I guess that sounds reasonable. I would be too. "Ok. Sure. Let's do it," I conceded, still a bit apprehensive.

We both walked out to the training yard. Some guards were there getting their morning practice in. Zuko asked for them to use one of the other training yards for today. They looked at him and then at me confused. Apparently, word hadn't gotten to them yet what happened yesterday. They both bowed and left the yard.

"Why couldn't we just do that?" I asked, feeling guilty to inconvenience the men.

"This is the yard I always use. I don't usually mind them getting their work out in with me but today, it is just you and me." I smiled shyly at the thought.

"What about Iroh?"

"What about him?" Zuko asked.

"Well, I'm sure he is wondering what all that was yesterday. Shouldn't we go talk to him?"

"Well, I actually told him what you told me yesterday excluding the parts about Jakar." Zuko said sheepishly. Then quickly followed up with, "I didn't mean to betray your trust. I was confused and I needed to talk it out and Uncle is the only one that I trust besides you and-"

"It's fine, Zuko," I said, cutting him off and smiling. "I'm glad he knows and I'm glad you could talk to him. Although I'm sure he will still have questions."

"I'm sure he does. But they will have to wait. Now. Show me what you got." Zuko said. I stared at him, not knowing where to start. I said as much to him. "Start with firebending. I'm curious," he said with a grin.

Of all the things to start with, it had to be that, "Well, I told you I'm not very good at it. Even though it was the first one to manifest, it is the one I have used and honed the least."

"Why?"

"Well, after what happened with Jakar and…what followed. I have been afraid to use it. So I usually focus on the other three types of bending."

I lit a fireball and threw it at Zuko who quickly disbursed it. He throw a small one back at me. I wasn't expecting it. It reached me and I stumbled backwards and fell down. "I'm sorry, Sam! Are you ok?" Zuko said running over to me, panic in his voice looking over me for burns.

"Yes, I'm fine. I told you I'm not good at firebending. That's why I find YOUR bending so fascinating. You're just…a natural at it. How did you disburse it like that?"

"Well, it's all about your stance. You have to be unwavering but fluid. When the fireball gets to you, you have to just move your arms like this and it will dissipate. Did you want to try it? Here, throw another fireball at me. I'll show you." Zuko said. I never expected this to turn into a firebending lesson, but I was grateful for the help and the time to spend with Zuko. It also felt really good to so openly use my bending without having to worry about some kind of witch hunt.

I threw a fireball at him and he talked me through his stances. "Do you want to try it?" He asked me. I was nervous, but agreed.

He threw a small - very small - fireball at me and, mimicking his technique, I was able to disburse it. "Yes! I did it!" I said triumphantly jumping up and down. I looked over at Zuko watching me with a grin on his face.

"Yes, you did. Great job! You ready for a bigger one?" I was. He threw it at me and I was able to quell that one as well. We kept this going for a while, back and forth. Zuko teaching me different techniques. Different stances. Basic stuff, I thought. He really was a good teacher. No wonder it was Zuko that taught the avatar. He was a natural.

"Now," he said straightening up out of his bending stance and starting to walk backwards, "show me the other elements. I want to see what you can do." he stepped out of the ring and sat down to watch me, wiping the sweat off his face and neck with a towel.

I was nervous but it was starting to come easier. I never had demonstrated for anyone before. Everyone I had ever known threw me away as soon as they found out. But not Zuko. He was embracing it. It took a couple of moves for me to get comfortable showing him. I did waterbending. Earthbending. And even airbending. Zuko was fascinated. I still worried about telling Aang about it. Zuko was confident it would go well, I wasn't so sure.

Before we knew it, it was lunch time. We took our leave from sparring. We had gone to our bedroom to freshen up and change. All of that exercise left us both pretty sweaty. We went to the dining hall for lunch where we found Iroh already enjoying a cup of tea, politely waiting for us to eat.

"Uncle! Good afternoon!" Zuko said, sitting down across from Iroh.

"Good afternoon, my nephew," Iroh said to Zuko, then turned to me, "So, you are quite the little bender." I blushed. "Your bending was astonishing in the training yard."

"Uncle! You were spying on us?!" Zuko said. I wasn't sure if he was actually annoyed or he was just being playful. Then I realized: This is Zuko. He's definitely annoyed.

"It's ok, Iroh. Zuko, you're overreacting. It's not like we were doing it in secret."

Zuko calmed and backed down a small smile touching his lips, "Yes, Uncle. She is."

"What do you think Aang will say?" Iroh asked, looking sideways at Zuko.

"I don't know." Zuko admitted. I was nervous about it myself. Terrified actually. Had he even heard about it yet? News travelled fast in the Bending Nations, so I wasn't so sure. I asked Zuko about it. "I'm not sure. He might have. He will be arriving tomorrow."

"Actually, Zuko. They made better time than they anticipated and be arriving today. A messenger hawk came in late last night. Probably in the next couple of hours."

I tensed at this, butterflies growing inside my stomach. I sat my chop sticks down, suddenly unable to eat. Zuko noticed.

"Don't worry, Sam. I'm sure it will be alright." Zuko said reassuring me, however, I wasn't so sure.

Iroh was right. Aang and the other did arrive today. It was only a few minutes after we finished eating, actually. I was really nervous about meeting them. Zuko, however, was confident. He and I had decided to stay dressed casually for their arrival. Them being friends, we wanted to keep it informal.

"Look, Sam. I've known Aang for years. He isn't going to treat you poorly. He is a kind soul. If I know Aang, he will probably be excited. They will most likely all hug you. You haven't met huggers until you meet my friends." Zuko grumbled but tried to reassure me. Excited? Now you're reaching. I thought cynically.

Several people came in through the main doors. Seven of them. I assumed Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph. There was an older man and two young children and I did not know who they were. They scanned the room until their eyes fell on Zuko. I stole a look at Zuko and he had a big smile on his face.

"Zuko! It's so good to see you! It's been too long!" The woman, who I assumed was Katara, said. She stepped forward and embraced Zuko. He reciprocated, although a bit stiffly. Zuko was not one for hugs. Then she looked over at me, "and this must be your new Fire Lady, Samyah." She reached her hands out to me for an embrace which I accepted.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Katara. And please. It's just Sam." I said. She smiled.

I saw a young man coming up behind Katara and headed for Zuko. I assumed this man was Sokka.

"Hey buddy! How're ya doin'?!" Yup. Definitely Sokka from what Zuko had told me. Zuko reached out to shake Sokka's hand. Sokka swiftly ignored it and gave Zuko a big hug. Zuko, like with Katara, reciprocated but was visibly not comfortable.

"I'm great, Sokka. Nice to see you, too." Zuko said just as enthusiastically but a bit more subdued. He looked over at me and smiled, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"And you must be Fire Lady Samyah. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said kissing my hand and bowing.

"Please, we are among friends. No formalities." I said to Sokka. He looked at me, smiled and embraced me as well. Zuko wasn't kidding when he said these people LOVED to hug.

Zuko looked down at the two children and smiled, "Bumi! Kya! Wow! You are both getting so BIG!" Zuko said emphasizing the word "big". The children beamed at Zuko's compliment and rushed over to hug him as well - one for each leg. Zuko accepted these children's hugs with no restraint. In my time here, I had noticed that Zuko loves kids. On the rare occasion when a servant had to bring their young child, for one reason or another, they always seemed to love Zuko. Children, not understanding social classes, would run to Zuko and treat him like he was their best friend, much to the embarrassment of the parents. Zuko, however, was always kind, and talked with the children. That is probably one of the reasons why Zuko is so well respected by his palace staff I thought.

Aang stepped forward, looking at Zuko. Zuko, smiling at his good friend, embraced him wholeheartedly. Aang had a bond that the others didn't have with Zuko. "Sifu Hotman! It's so good to see you. I can't believe it's been almost a year!" I giggled at the address. Zuko scowled a bit but recovered his jovial demeanor. After greeting Zuko, Aang's eyes slid over to me. I wasn't sure what to expect, but his face was kind.

"Good to meet you, Sam. I've heard…a lot about you." he said, hesitating for a moment. I wasn't sure what the hesitation was but I thought I probably knew.

"It's truly an honor to meet you too, Aang." I said giving a respectful bow to the avatar. He ducked his head in response but said nothing more.

"Ok, where is Mister Fiery Pants?" I heard the other woman ask. Toph. Had to be.

"Good to see you too, Toph," Zuko said with a chuckle. He didn't like these nicknames but, it seemed, he had gotten used to them.

She turned her head in my general direction, "and this is Missus Fiery Pants? Or should I say Missus Avatar Wannabe Pants?" I was taken aback by her quick openness about it. Zuko's brows furrowed at this and glowered at Toph, not caring that she couldn't' see it. I guess that answered the question if they'd heard about it. I blushed crimson at her declaration. "Are you keeping Zuko from being too grumpy?"

"Uh, yes. I'm Sam. And I try to. Some days are harder than others," I said smiling sideways at Zuko who, clearly, wasn't amused. I wasn't sure exactly how to take the brashness of her words but I thought I liked her already.

Then the older man stepped forward. I thought there was reverence from everyone in the room for him. He must be someone of importance and high respect, but who, I wasn't so sure. Almost as quickly as my thoughts were through my head, they were answered.

"Chief Hakoda," Zuko said, bowing respectfully to the man. I'd never see him so openly bow to anyone. Zuko hadn't really said much about Hakoda, but I could tell he thought highly of him. He had mentioned Hakoda before saying that he was always kind to him, even after what the Fire Nation had done to his family. I noticed even then a reverence for this man that he hadn't showed for anyone else besides his uncle.

"Fire Lord Zuko. It's an honor to be invited to your home." He said bowing to Zuko. Then looked over at me, "And you are Fire Lady Samy- Sam," he corrected himself. I smiled.

"Yes, it is truly an honor to meet you, Chief Hakoda," I said bowing respectfully to him.

Hakoda looked back at Zuko, "I hope it is alright that I arrived with my children. I know I am a bit early."

Zuko smiled genuinely at the man, "Chief Hakoda, you are always welcome in my home. It is an honor to have you here with us." Zuko bowed again.

Now with the formalities out of the way, everyone seemed to relax a bit. I walked back over to Zuko and took his proffered arm.

"You must be tired from your trip. I already have rooms prepared for you all." Zuko turned to one of the servants, "Please show our guests to their rooms and make sure they have everything they need."

"Yes, your highness." The servant said and bowed respectfully to her ruler.

"After you get settled in, I would love to catch up with everyone. Would you like to meet us in the Turtleduck Garden?" Zuko asked, without thinking. They all looked at him confused and he clarified, "Sorry, that's what my wife calls it." His eyes slid down to me with a loving smile, "The garden we always convene in." They all nodded in understanding.

Zuko and I walked to the garden awhile to wait for their arrival. "That wasn't so bad, now as it?" Zuko asked conversationally as we walked down the halls.

"No, it wasn't. It was quite pleasant actually. Toph is…a character." was all I could say.

"Yes, she is quite brash but she has a good heart. You get used to it."

We walked to the garden and sat down next to the pond and fed the turtleducks. After awhile, Aang came in and joined us. I noticed he came alone. Probably wants to speak to me in private. I thought.

"May I join you?" he asked politely to which we both accepted graciously.

"So, Sam. I've…heard a lot about you." Aang repeated his words from earlier.

"Yes, seems that news travels fast in the Bending Nations. I'm sure you have…questions." I said, deliberating on the last word.

"You could say that," he smiled sheepishly.

"What do you want to know?"

"So, you're not from any of the Bending Nations." he started with. Not what I expected, but I supposed he was working his way up to it. When he asked me though it wasn't an insult, like it had been with other people. He was genuinely curious.

"That is correct. I come from a city called Las Estrellas. It is a beautiful city but rampant with violent crime. I worked as a psychologist for law enforcement and helped people the more traditional way on the side." Aang's brows furrowed and asked what that is, "Psychology is the 'study of the mind.' People who have a mental illness usually benefit from what I did." I put it simply. He nodded in understanding but seemed intrigued so I elaborated. I never really had talked about my previous life to anyone here. Not even Zuko. "While working for the police though, I worked as a criminal profiler - someone who can look at the behavior of an unknown perpetrator and help determine what they are like. It isn't a perfect science but it helps point law enforcement in the right direction." Aang nodded again.

"How do you like the Bending Nations?" Aang asked. It was nice to talk about this stuff with someone who wasn't asking me to use it against me later.

"They're…pleasant." I said, remembering my time in prison. "The Fire Nation has been overall very welcoming to me." I said. It was true. I was happy here.

We chatted for a bit. I could tell Aang wanted to bring up my bending but was having a hard time finding the right moment. Finally, I thought it was time to talk about the elephant in the room.

"So, I assume you heard about…my bending." I asked Aang. He looked at me surprised that I brought it up while Zuko wrapped his arm around my shoulders but said nothing.

"Well, yeah, actually I was." Aang said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, "I hear you can bend all four elements? Would you mind demonstrating?" Aang asked.

"Of course," I expected nothing less. I stood up, nervous, of what his reaction would be. My hands were shaking a little bit but I quickly demonstrated each element and then sat back down next to Zuko. I looked over at Aang. He looked fascinated rather than angry or threatened.

"That's amazing! I have never seen anyone else do that besides me!" He said in genuine amazement, beaming from ear to ear. "What are YOUR thoughts, Zuko?" Zuko looked taken aback at the question, but answered it honestly.

"I don't really have any. This is my wife and I accept her for who she is. As for her being an avatar, I don't think she is. She doesn't seem to have the connection to the spiritual world that you do." I was surprised at how much he had observed in the day that he knew.

We discussed it at length leaving out the more personal parts with Jakar. During our discussion, the others had joined us. The children too, but they played while we talked. However, the only one missing was Hakoda. Resting I thought.

"So an eclipse? That's odd. We've had eclipses too and nothing like that happened," Sokka said. He didn't sound suspicious or skeptical. He was genuinely intrigued.

"I'm not sure what to make of it either. I just know the eclipse came, I felt weird and then I could bend."

"Interesting," Sokka said. "And they aren't open to it at all where you come from?"

"Nope. Not at all. I was treated like a pariah when people found out. I know of one other person where I come from who can bend. And he can bend water and fire and he is not someone you want to trifle with," I said, remembering my encounters with him. "But when I heard about the Bending Nations and found out so MANY of you can bend, I thought that it would be a good place for me to set down some roots. I was told the place to go was Ba Sing Se. Of course, that is where I met Zuko." I said smiling up at him. "I had no idea when I first came here how…racist…people can be here."

"Yes, I wish it weren't that way. We are all just people trying to make it. I don't know why so many distrust those from outside the nations." Katara chimed in.

"The only thing that I can think of is there IS a lot of violence where I come from. Las Estrellas has a REALLY high crime rate and is considered to be one of the most dangerous cities to live in."

For the rest of the evening, we all sat and talked. Talked about our lives. Aang told me about the defeat of Ozai. And I told them about me. It was a pleasant evening. After we had dinner, we all headed to our respective rooms to turn in for the evening. On our way to our room, Zuko spoke.

"Well, how did it go?"

"I can't believe how open and accepting they are. Not just because I'm an outsider but because of my bending."

"I told you, you had nothing to worry about." he said, kissing my forehead, "I'm glad it went well. And I'm glad you are making friends with mine."

Zuko and I headed for bed and to get some rest. He would not be meeting with his council until after the celebration. Speaking of which, it was only three days away and we had a lot of things to do before we could make that happen. We drifted off to sleep and decided we would tackle those things tomorrow.