A/N: Yay! I finally found time to type something up! :D Okay, this chapter I'm really hoping is fun to write. I'll see you at the end of the chapter and let you know! Race ya there!!

Disclaimer: Uh, yeah, me no own TV show.

Sokka: Why you talk funny?

Me: Why you blubber head?

Sokka: -shrugs- Me no know!

"Land ahoy!"

Heads turned to the edge of the ship at Teo's shouting. Yes, there was indeed land forming before their very eyes. A mountainous volcano began to come into view as well. This was definitely the Fire Nation.

Aang sighed. It was time to do work again. It had been a very enjoyable week and a half with nothing to do but lie about on board, not to mention he got to spend a lot quality time with the beautiful waterbender. He had also played game after game of poker with the guys, which he had quite honestly become somewhat attached to. Though, truth be told, he hadn't won but the one time, his first time playing. He could swear that Toph was somehow cheating…

But, they did work every night at dinner for but a few minutes when they tried to come up with a plan to talk to the highly ranked nephew of Iroh. Many things had come up, but none could ever hope to be fulfilled.

For example, Sokka's plan involving tar, bootstraps, and feathers off a messenger hawk would very doubtfully be successful.

"Well," said Sokka, "Now that we're finally here, I guess we should finally come up with a plan once and for all."

Everyone stared at the captain.

"…Well? Any suggestions?"

"None really come to mind," Katara said, rolling her eyes.

"Look, we haven't come up with something in almost two weeks," Haru said. "What makes you think we can come up with one now?"

"Yeah," Jet agreed. "What do you think'll happen? Something will just come flying by, giving us the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the place and talk to this Zuko kid without anything happening to us?"

It was at this moment that a messenger hawk was heard from above, dropping a note down below to the empty hands of Katara. With this being done, the bird flew off in the same direction it came.

"Well, what's it say?" Toph asked, annoyed that the letter hadn't even yet been open.

Sighing, Katara read the message aloud to the waiting ears of the crew.

"To the ships of the sea… You are invited to a banquet held by the noble Ursa in honor of the ending of pirates everywhere. Tonight and no later, anyone who wishes to attend may do so."

"Oh, the irony," Jet muttered.

"It's a little reckless – and stupid – to be sending messenger hawks inviting random people in boats to a fancy banquet, isn't it?" asked Toph.

"Well, I guess they didn't count on pirates roaming into their land either," Aang suggested.

"I know I didn't," Teo said, climbing down from his post.

"But this is perfect!" Sokka exclaimed, doing an odd little dance as he did so. Grabbing the letter, he shouted, "One of us can go to the Fire Nation in disguise to this party! They talk to Zuko who's gotta be there because, well, it's his mom's party after all, he comes with us, and BAM! We're good to go!"

"That's a good plan…" the Duke muttered to himself.

"But who would go?" Haru asked.

"Well, I was thinking Katara," said Sokka as said person's eyes bugged.

"Why me?!" she yelled.

"Well, you know…" Sokka said, waving his hand impatiently. "You're the only girl here and all. More graceful, plus Zuko's a guy and all."

"Sokka!!"

"What? It's true! Just put a move on him or something and it's safe to say that he's with us!"

Aang felt his face go hot as Sokka spoke. Word after word, his face radiated with more and more heat. What could be happening to him? What could Sokka's words mean to him that apparently meant nothing to the others?

Katara clenched her fists, ready to yell, but suddenly relaxed herself. A smirk formed. "I can't. I couldn't possibly go dressed like this, could I?"

It was at this moment that Iroh came up from below, hearing Katara's previous statement.

"If you are looking for something suitable to wear when we reach land," he said, "I have many dresses and things in a chest somewhere from my past years. You are welcome to them."

Sokka smirked as Katara's own faded into a scowl. She grumbled as she walked down below the deck.

"Don't come back until you're in one of those dress!" Sokka shouted after her as Toph laughed loudly.

"You should go too, Aang," Sokka said, turning to the young avatar. "After all, you're the only one here with experience in these kinds of things. Of course, you'd have to disguise yourself a little…"

Aang grinned for more reasons unknown to him, except for knowing that he would get to spend more time with Katara. He nodded his head a little more eagerly than he should have, he supposed, for Sokka glared at him before walking to his cabin, most likely to work on his Ozai charts.

"Man, this is gonna be sweet!" Jet said excitedly. "Seeing Katara look like that… once in a lifetime opportunity!"

"Shut up, Jet," Toph, Aang, Haru, and Teo said simultaneously. Longshot might have said so too, but who would ever know?

oOoOo

"SOKKA!"

Katara's shout from below rang loud and true. The door to the captain's cabin was flung wide open as Sokka ran out, looking positively terrified.

"How much you wanna bet this has something to do with hormones?" he whispered hurriedly to Aang, the person nearest his cabin. Running down to the sound of Katara's voice, he shouted, "FRICKIN' HORMONES!!"

A door was heard being slammed open and shut, but the shouting match was still heard clearly by the crew on the deck.

"Sokka, what the hell is this?!"

"It's a corset! What'd you think it was?"

"I don't know! I guess that's why I asked you, meathead! Now what's this thing do?"

"It makes you look thinner!"

"Well, how do I put this thing on?"

"Okay, just… okay, put your… yeah, that's good. Right there, and…"

"It doesn't fit very well. I don't feel thinner either."

"That's because you have to tighten it."

"Well, help me out!"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh… ready?"

"Why do you say that – Spirits, what are you trying to do, kill me?! STOP SQUEEZING!!"

"I can't! It's not even close to being where it should be!"

"STOP! STOP IT!"

"Tighter! Tighter!!"

"NO, DON'T! DON'T DO IT! STOP!"

"Hold on…!"

"PLEASE! I CAN'T BREATHE!"

"Almost there, Katara, almost!"

"OH MY–"

"THERE! DONE!"

There was silence for a few moments as the awe struck crew waited for a response.

"Katara…?"

"…I don't… I don't think I can… breath…"

oOoOo

Aang turned his head along with the rest of the crew.

Katara had finally come out from her room.

The waterbender was dressed in an elegant, soft pink dress with an elaborate design sewed on. It flowed as she walked, but Aang could just see the very tall heels she wore beneath. Her beautiful chocolate hair was hidden beneath a long blonde wig, curls flowing beautifully around her face.

And though she was lovely, it was not Katara. Oh, but if the wig was off…

"Kay…" Jet dragged the hated nickname. "I never knew you had such nice–"

"Alright, now that Katara's ready," Sokka interrupted hurriedly, "we can finally get off this ship!"

Aang, with his sandy brown-haired wig atop his head, walked over to the struggling Katara.

"Are you okay?"

"Well," she said, breathing heavily, "My feet hurt, I've lost my ability to walk properly, and I'm pretty sure my lungs have just imploded."

Aang let out a low laugh. "C'mon," he said. "It'll be fine. And it'll get you away from Jet, won't it?"

"You're right," Katara laughed. "Let's hurry up, then!"

oOoOo

"So this is what a banquet looks like…" Katara sighed.

"It's not as exciting as it looks," Aang said.

"Do you see Zuko anywhere?"

"Iroh said he had some kind of scar, right?"

"Yeah, he said it wouldn't be too hard to notice."

Aang suddenly smiled. He was at a ball with Katara, no older brother, no idiot perv… He bowed deeply, offering his hand to her.

"Shall we?"

Katara turned a shade of red. "Aang, I… I'm not sure I can dance."

Aang stood up from his bow. "C'mon, it's not so hard. Just take my hand, follow me lead…"

Katara smiled and started forward, tripping over her heels as she was doing so. Aang instantly reacted and rushed to catch her. She fell into his arms, and Aang found that she was as light as a feather. He stared at the top of her head, wondering what it would feel like to run his fingers through it…

He jerked from his reverie and stood Katara upright. "…and don't trip over your shoes."

Katara laughed that cute little laugh of hers. Aang found himself going red again. Just what was the matter with him?

Katara took the Avatar's hand as he led her to the floor of the room. The music played softly, engulfing them in a rather romantic song. Aang put one hand on her waist and kept the other tightly in his grasp. His arms felt oddly comfortably in this position that had felt so awkward with other women before. They began to gracefully spin and sway. Katara looked down at their feet, biting her lip and taking careful notes as to where her feet went and when.

Aang was surprised. For someone who didn't know how to dance, the waterbender was doing fantastic.

"It looks less suspicious if you look up from the floor," Aang whispered into Katara's ear.

Katara immediately looked up. "Sorry," she muttered. "I've… never really done this kind of thing before… Is it obvious?"

"Not really, no," Aang replied. "In fact, you're a wonderful dancer. You're just as good as any of these high-and-mighties."

"Aren't you one of those high-and-mighties?"

Aang looked to the side. "Well… yes, but I'm… er-"

"Relax, I understand," Katara giggled.

"Are you absolutely sure you've never danced before?" Aang questioned, a joking smile on his face.

"Well," Katara grinned back, "I've never danced if you don't count the time I danced on the moon with the Earth King."

"Of course!" Aang laughed. "And what exactly did you and the Earth King do after this amazing dance?"

"Let's see," Katara pretended to be deep in thought. "We went back to his palace together, we sat on the couch in his sitting room, and we talked about… you."

Aang was immediately very attentive. …Him? Why would she say him?!

"And just what did you… say about me?"

"Well, I told him-"

"I don't suppose you'd mind if I cut in?"

Katara and Aang both stopped dancing and turned to look at the man whose low voice had addressed them. He looked only just older than the airbender, and his black hair was a shaggy mess. He stood erect and proud, and had only the faintest of smiles on his face. But the most obvious of his features was the deep red and pink scar on the side of his face.

Aang looked from Katara to the man who he assumed was Zuko. For some reason, he had no wanting to remove his hand from Katara's waist. It felt right like this. This was…

Aang realized he had said nothing in quite some time. Zuko looked at Aang with a raised brow. Katara was giving him a questionable look.

"Oh, of – of course," Aang said, regretfully stepping back.

Zuko nodded towards him and swept Katara away in dance.

Aang saw Katara mouth over the scarred man's shoulder, "It's him!" He nodded his acknowledgment.

Aang watched on in an odd, odd depression. He felt a sort of… rage inside of him. Watching Katara dance with another man nearly killed him inside.

But why?!?!

This was too much. Too, too much! What in the Spirits name was happening to him? He meets a few pirates and he immediately changes. He wasn't sure what they had done to him or how or why every time he looked at Katara, he felt this amazing tingling sensation in his heart as it fluttered a thousand beats per second, why her beautiful eyes and her gentle voice made him turn red on the spot. And he didn't know why it made him incredibly furious to watch Zuko spin the waterbender around when he himself could be doing the same thing.

He saw them exchange words with each other and he saw Katara laugh. She had just been laughing with Aang… why couldn't she be laughing with him again?

He slumped into a chair. Aang just fell… awful. Plain awful.

The next thing he knew, Katara and Zuko were next to him.

"Aang," Katara said, "this is Zuko. Zuko, this is Aang."

Zuko nodded. "It's an honor," he said.

Aang stood up a little faster than usual. "Great, so should we be going then? Yes, yes, let's be on our way! Come on, Katara, Sokka will be waiting." Aang took Katara's hand in his and began to walk as fast as he possibly could towards the exit. "You know how impatient he is. Who knows what he's thinking right now? I mean, he's probably hyperventilating in his cabin right now, and crying or something. I think he's-"

"Aang!" Katara stopped trying to keep even with Aang's speed. She tugged on his hand. "What's the rush? Relax. If Sokka's what you're worried about, then I can handle him. Just… keep calm?"

Aang glanced down at their still intertwined hands. He looked back up at Katara. He just stared for a moment. "Okay."

"All right, then," she said. Katara smiled and squeezed his hand in hers. She turned around. "Are you coming, Zuko?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm right behind you," he answered, hurrying to catch up, looking behind him as he walked.

And together, the three of them strolled out of the party, two of them holding hands the whole way.

A/N: Yay! I finished! ...I'm hungry… Y'know, I found this in my documents folder, only halfway done! So I just finished it up real quick. Not too sure if I like it or not…

REVIEW!! OR ELSE SANTA WILL ONLY GIVE YOU CHEESE FOR CHRISTMAS!!

Sokka: Cheese? Are you serious?

Me: Do YOU want cheese for Christmas?

Sokka: …no…

Tangy :D