Author Note: Hello beautiful people .BACK!
Actually … everyone is lucky I had chapter 14 in my Google Drive because I remembered absolutely nothing :( LOL. Yet, now that this chapter is up I can finally start new on chapter 15, so hopefully everyone likes it. This chapter only needed editing… so chapter 15 should be up this week. Maybe earlier. Maybe …. in a few days.

ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar… I hold no patience to ever make a new world or people to live in it.


Chapter 14: Not Forgotten


"You sure are late today Ma'am," one of the younger girls said, "Was our wonderful Fire Lord keeping you busy?"

"Oh no!" Katara said smiling, "Zuko is in a meeting at the moment… I was merely caught up with one of the palace workers…"

"It must be hard to be a new couple and never have time to spend with one another,"

"Shh! Those are not things that you discuss with a woman of her status," the older women said harshly. She was probably the other worker's mother and wanted to make sure her baby was not causing any trouble.

"It's okay," The water bender said quickly, "I may be the Fire Lady, but, I am still a girl… It's nice to talk to other people normally.. please, treat me like you would any other new bride. After all, before I came here I was merely a commoner too."

The older worker's eyes soften at the sound of the chat and took a deep breathe in before letting it out. She wanted to keep her daughter safe and remembered how often they had to walk on eggshells whenever the prior Fire Lord ordered them to make a gown or robe. Patting her own daughter on the back, the women in the room let out a giggle and the tense atmosphere slowly became relaxed and joyous.

General Iroh looked on from the side. He always smiled at the way Katara handeled things. He had hoped that his nephew would find someone who loved him for him. He liked Mai, but she was too serious for his Zuko. Zuko needed someone who could order him around and challange him. He needed a girl that complimented the way he walked and talked, not add to the already tough demeanor.

"Uncle Iroh," The water master said, "Does the dress not look okay? You've been staring at it for a while now. I know the counsel had a problem with it before… but I'm fine with anything we pick. This is the first time I'm wearing something so… beautiful!"

"It's lovely on you, dear" Iroh answered with his usual smile, "I was just admiring… how bright the future looks."

"Let's hope it stays bright," Katara mummbled to herself quietly as it barely reached Iroh's ears.

"After all," The old man said, " I always wanted a house full of little kids to start my own band with! Zuko use to hate music night on the ship and he never wanted to play with me."

"You're going to turn our children into your musical slaves!" Katara exclaimed with a small hint of humor, "I'm sure Zuko will try everything in his power to stop that."

"I'm sure he would."

The rest of the fitting was filled with almost every worker working on Katara's dress. Today was the only day she could go to the store and they had a limited amount of time to work on any adjustments that had to be made. In reality, Iroh wanted them to finish as quickly as possible so that the Fire Counsel could not change their mind on the dress.

The general remained in the open area with his tea as his eyes wandered from dress to dress. The store offered every style known to every country and was a well known store throughout the land. They done various orders for the palace, but it would be their second time making a wedding gown for the royal family. The first time was for Zuko's mother and now it was Katara's turn.

He had design the entire wedding gown himself, however, it was a mere memory of how Zuko's mother looked on her wedding day. He knew that in some parts of the world, the bride would wear her mother's gown, yet, Katara's mother was no longer with her and Zuko was in the same situation. Therefore, why not make a memory for both of them?

The old General had sent a letter to Katara's father and he had agreed that if Katara wore The Fire Lady's gown, than her jewelry would be her mother's gems. The fire bender, of course, had no objection to the ordeal and said that it was a marvelous idea. After all, gems are a girl's best friend. He was sure that the water tribe had their own wedding gown, yet, the weather in the Fire Nation was far too warm for any fur and jacket.

In reality, Iroh admired water tribe jewelry and thought they had a very unique feel to it. He had explained to Katara's father that even if his precious daughter was wearing a Fire Nation gown, everyone would have their eyes on their tribe's craftsmanship.

Katara's eyes sparkled as she looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe that she was getting married. She didn't even register that this was her wedding dress. She touched the fine silk of the gown as she admired every detail that ran across her body. The dress was a poofy gown, much different than the royal robes she normally wore for special occasions.

The entire top part was sexual. Her shoulder was exposed, but her chest was covered by red silk drowned in sparkly gems. The top was lined with gold fabric that continued down her side. It almost appeared like flames were dancing down her body as they disappeared into the vast layer of fabric that covered her legs. It reminded her of a fairy tale dress and seemed only possibly in her childhood's bedtime stories. The gown itself didn't hug her body, but it did show off her beauty. It was simple with only certain areas bombarded with details, yetshe adored every bit of it.

She never knew what Gran Gran meant when she told her that a girl's gown is a precious thing, but now she understood.

"This dress is just a small part of my future," the water bender thought as she continued to look at herself.

Her hand stopped on her wrist. She knew sooner or later Zuko would show up and she would have to explain to him what had happened. They had planned to get dinner after the fitting, but after everything that had occurred, she wasn't sure if they should. Its been a while since all of them sat down for a quiet meal together and the entire thing would probably end in an argument.

"Its been a while since we all ate together, hasn't it, Katara?" Iroh asked suddenly as he saw the water bender expression.

She looked up, shocked that Iroh could always read what was on people's mind. Instead, of questioning, she smiled at the old man and laughed, "Yes it has been, recently we have been dining with so many different people, however, it's nice sometimes to have the dinner table be only loved ones. "

"Do you remember all of them?"

"Not one bit!" The water bender laughed, "I know I should have… but who could remember all those old officials? Don't let Zuko know, though, at the end of the night he always tells me that these people will one day help us make the Fire Nation better.."

It was true, Katara had to recall various names and faces due to the fact that everyone was giving their condolences and blessing. Yet, after one lunch and one dinner with various families, she could no longer recall who was a general and who was merely rich. She only knew that these people were important to Zuko and therefore were important to her.

"I'm sure in time it will be second nature," The fire bender added as he sipped his tea, "I remember my sister in law took a long time to remember everyone's names."

"She must have been a wonderful mother…" Katara said softly.

"Yes," Iroh answered, "The dress you are wearing is the same one that she wore for her special day."

"Is it really?"

"The gown itself had been destroyed many years ago, however, the design is the same."

"Now I can see why you were so assertive in having it created exactly like the picture," Katara said with a worried expression, "But, I wonder if I can do this dress justice."

"Zuko's mom was a very kind lady. She always looked after him when no one else would. She would always take him to the lake or sneak him sweets during the day…" The general said as his eyes flashed with a hint of sorrow, "But if she was here she would be praising the fact that her daughter in law looks like an angel from the sky."

The Fire Lady smiled at the elder and for a moment in the day she was no longer worrying about what to say to Zuko. She touched the layers of fabric that created the ball shape gown and let a big smile.

"That's the spirit!" Iroh said as he walked to Katara's side, "You have been sighing all morning… a smile is better suited for your face."

A few moments of silence passed afterward. The water bender knew she should not worry too much, however, she was still conflicted. She knew off the bat that there was something wrong with General Tai, however, one mistake should not be the downfall of a man. She replayed in her mind everything that had happen and wanted to say that it was not his fault. She had looked into his eyes and saw that he was no longer looking at the presence, but rather reliving the past. The problem was, how would she explain that to Zuko?

She imagined for a moment the dinner they were about to have. They would be eating peacefully before Zuko would finally realize something was wrong. Then without waiting for her to explain, he would flip over the table and spill everything on the floor. Iroh would grab his tea cup just in a time and continue to drink while the Fire Lord spit flames and steam everywhere. It would be a disaster. She would have to restrain him in public which would one, ruin his pride and two, cause them to fight for days.

She sigh and the older bender looked at her. He knew that she was going to have a problem with a certain nephew of his and wanted more than anything to help, but a part of him didn't blame Zuko. General Tai had hurt someone important to him and Iroh wanted to run back to the castle for answers, but Katara said it was okay. It was a quality that Iroh admired in the bender and knew from the day they met, years ago, that Katara was simply a sweet child.

"I'm sure if it's from her," Iroh thought, "He will understand…"

As the two of them left the store, they slowly made their way to meet with Zuko. Katara was growing more nervous, but kept telling herself that Zuko was older now. There was no reason to call him "hot-head" because he was mature. He will listen and understand that it was just a mistake on both ends.

"Who am I kidding…" she thought to herself with a heavy mumbled, "I'll say one word and he'll shot off like a fire ball."

The two master benders continued to walk through town. The restaurant that they had book was not far away, however, whenever they went out in public, everyone wanted to talk to them. People had gifts and blessings that they wanted to pass on and because they were royalty, they did not want to say no to their people.

"Look Tara," Iroh said cheerfully as he pointed out a small performance in town, "Maybe there is time to see what that is about."

He had wanted something to distract Katara and knew that this was just the thing! As the two of them walked toward the small crowd, a few kids were putting on a show for money. The story was about the Avatar and how he had saved the world from the evil Fire Ruler. Adults had gathered and many people were smiling. Even though this town once lived in fear, time had allowed them to breathe. Now, the townspeople were very supportive of one another. They wanted a world where they could trust each other regardless of who could bend what.

It was an idea that would have made the strongest person laugh at some point, but after seeing everyone's faces, the water bender was happy. She regained her composure and smiled as she watched the kids imitate Appa. One of them yelled "Yip yip" as another child pretended to be Aang. He had a small blue arrow painted on his head and stood in an orange shirt and blue pants. His hand had a small stick and his face read 'I am the leader of everyone.'

The water bender could not help but laugh and the small giggled drew the attention of almost everyone on the side. Before she knew it, everyone was in shock that the Fire Lady was watching a small performance on the street.

"Oh my, It's Lady Katara!"

"You look wonderful today, My lady," A young man commented.

"The color blue is marvelous on you!"

"It's your story!" A man cried, "See it's the Avatar!"

"Lady Katara," An old woman said, "PLEASE! Act with the younger ones! They worked so hard for this day and I'm sure that they would love to have your assistance."

"Yes Lady Katara," one of the children said, "We would love to have you in our play!"

The water master looked around and then to the children. Their eyes were wide with hope and anticipation as she gave them a smile and kneeled down near them. She watched as the other kids continued the story and smiled as she got to be part of their day. Slowly, she picked up on what they were acting out and began to go along with the scene, a tale she knew all too well.

She was so occupied with the entire ordeal that she did not notice a certain Fire Lord making his way to the crowd.

Zuko had grown tired of waiting for the two bender and remembered how side tracked his uncle would get. He knew that if he didn't go to find them, they would arrive an hour late- or worse, never show up. Therefore, walking light on his feet, he began to walk to the bridal store only to notice a certain grey head in a crowd of people.

"Wonderful!"

"I knew it," He groaned as he recognized the cheerful voice of his beloved Uncle.

Iroh smiled and chuckled. He had lived the story himself, yet, he adored the play. He was going through various emotions and was practically the loudest in the audience. Feeling a hand on his back he turned around to see golden eyes filled with confusion.

"Uncle, why is Katara playing with a mini doll?"

"Zuko!" The old man laughed, "You would never believe what happened. We were walking along the road and-"

"Saw a performance about the Avatar?" Zuko asked as he pointed to a nearby poster.

The sign had read "SPECIAL! Avatar story revealed!" in cute handwriting. He wanted to say that this was merely cheap entertainment, but as he continued to watch his emotions settled down.

"Nephew, please, everyone is enjoying themselves and the kids are having fun with Katara."

"She's sitting on the ground," Zuko mentioned, "We have dinner plans remember?"

"Dirt can be wiped off," Iroh commented, "look, this is going to be a good scene!"

It was true that Zuko didn't care for clothing and appearances. He was dressed in a red top with black pants. He had been running around all day and decided to dress more casual. He knew that the counsel would have scolded him for dressing in such an improper manner, but they were just a huge group of old men with way too much time on their hands. After all, he would not have been able to get all his work done and go through town wearing the Fire Lord's robes. People would recognize him right away and stop him for autographs and questions.

. However, he was the Fire Lord and as time passed more people were beginning to recognize him. Whispers grew around the two master bender, but, instead of making a big scene, everyone watched their leader. They had seen Zuko in town on numerous occasions, however, recently he had been more happy around the people he greeted. They had pinned the behavior on true love, yet, they knew to hold their tongue in the face of their Fire Lord.

Zuko was entirely focused on Katara. His hands were crossed and his face remained relaxed, but if anyone saw the young man, they would have sworn that Zuko had hearts in his eyes. He was not smiling, but he wasn't frowning either. Instead, he merely watched as Katara's simple actions made his chest flutter in every way. The way she smiled, the way she laughed, the way her hair fell down as she moved her arms side to side… everything about her was ordinary, but extraordinary at the same time.

He had remembered back to the time that Mai and him were dating and realized that this situation was not the same. He adored Mai and a part of him wanted to say that he loved her, however, the way he feels towards Katara is different than the way he felt for Mai. Mai was someone he could tolerate, but the water bender was someone he could never live without. She was his opposite and at the same time his twin. They were both stubborn for the things they were passionate about and never once wanted to back down from anything. She wasn't scared of him like most people were and never once expected anything from him, but love and honesty.

"If I didn't meet you…" The fire bender thought , "Who knows where I would be at the moment. Maybe I would still be in that boring meeting with old men trying to "better" the nation. Maybe I would be on a date with random candidates for Fire Lady. Maybe I wouldn't even be here…"

The fire bender had spend the last few years ruling the country, but not once had he ever stop to think about his own life. He was merely trying to fix the mistakes his father made, but the more time he spend with a certain water bender the more he realized that there was more to his life than being the Fire Lord. He wanted to have love and be loved, something he was not use to. He wanted to build a family that was always there for each other. He didn't want to have a son that hated his father or missed out on his childhood.

Iroh watched from the corner of his eyes and smiled. He may have been old, but he was more wise than anyone in the entire castle. He had decades under his belt and had lived through both the good and the bad. Yet, the young man in front of him, had always been by his side. The moment he had realize what his brother had done, he packed his bags to join Zuko on the journey of his life. Not once was he ever upset and not once did he ever regret the decision he made. He only wished for his nephew to find happiness in the dark life that cursed him. In his mind, he prayed, that no matter what happened with Katara and Tai… Zuko would understand.

"She is very good with the children," Iroh finally let out as he tried to stop the silence.

Zuko smiled unknowingly and nodded his head. He was happy and even with his arms across his chest, his demeanor was more relaxed than tense. It gave off a peaceful aura which allowed the townspeople around them to be more joyous of the union between two nations.

"Makes you think…." The older bender continued, "About your own children?"

Zuko quickly coughed and grew a tint of red as he choked on his own saliva. He was not expecting his uncle to bring up children so early in the game, however, he knew that the Fire Counsel would have a field day if him and katara had a baby. The Fire Lord continued to watch his fiance as the story reached the climax. Aang was about to strike down his father when suddenly Zuko noticed the strange marks on Katara's wrist. Her bangle had fell as she was acting out her part and no sooner than the imaginary Fire Ball was hurled, that Zuko stormed onto the set.

"Katara," He said as he ran up to her, "What happened?"

The water bender looked at him, crystal seas meeting shining gold. She was looking around at the crowd that was watching and noted that the children had stopped acting. Everyone was focused on the couple on stage and everything was about to turn disastrous. Zuko's hand reached out for her arm and before she could pull it away, he held it close to his face, his eyes scanning the skin as he began to grow more upset.

"These are fire burns," The fire bender spit out, "Who did it?"

Katara could feel Zuko's temper rising and Iroh had realized the growing number of eyes that was focusing on the couple. He knew that Katara was thinking about Zuko's image and knew that at this point, nothing was going to stop his nephew from being angry. If he let the situation continue, the Fire Lord would yell one too many swears and the fire counsel would have him chained in the palace for days. Feeling the need to defuse the situation, the older Fire bender jumped in.

"AHHH! Zuko, don't you think it's time for dinner? I think our Fire Lord is getting so hungry he's trying to eat Lady katara!"

"Who did this?" The Fire Lord asked again as he ignore the question beforehand.

"I'm so hungry!" Iroh called out again as he rubbed his tummy in front of the people, "I'm not sure who made me this starved! I had a big breakfast, but it must be old age!"

"Zuko," Katara said softly, "There are a lot of people around here maybe we-"

"ANSWER ME!"

The entire crowd remained quiet as some of them jumped back. That was the second time Zuko had an outburst in front of them. The first time was with Aang and now this. Katara cringe slightly at the sudden force of Zuko's voice. She had wanted to talk to him in private, however, that seems to be difficult now that the cat was out of the bag.

"This is bad," the water bender thought as she looked at the crowd, "think Katara think…"

Trying to snap Zuko back into reality, she took his hand in hers. The water bender was always good at thinking on her feet and even if the excuse seemed lamed and unbelievable, she had to do something before everyone reverted back to their fearful attitude.

"Now now… Fire Lord Zuko… if you wanted to act so badly, you should have told the little kids," Katara mentioned as she indicated the innocent eyes staring at him.

"I'm sure they would love for you to tell them that the old Fire Lord… yelled just like you did."

"were you… just acting?" A small feeble voice asked.

Zuko wanted answers, but as Katara's words reached his ears he knew that this was not the right place nor time. He stood still and took a deep breathe in, his mind regaining any bit of patience it had left. He let out a smile that was so fake to Katara, but good enough that the people would buy it.

"I'm sorry…." Zuko said as he bend down to one of the little actors, "I saw lady Katara… having so much fun and decided that I wanted to join in to. After all, if you guys are going to be little entertainers, you have to act the part correctly. My dad… was much more angry than you made him."

Zuko made sure to choose his words carefully. He was not only talking to immature minds, but could feel the wandering stares of their parents looking at him, "Lady Katara, was right… My father was yelling like that, a tyrant to his people right to the very end. That's why we are trying to change that, right? You guys did an amazing job."

Flashing his best smile, he reached into his pockets for some gold coins, "Thank you so much for letting me become part of your performance."

The little boys and girls stared at the fire bender as their eyes grew from fear to happiness at the kindness their Fire Lord was showing them. Giving him a hug they bowed and ended their performance, Zuko's donation giving them more than they would have ever anticipated from their act.

"No Problem, Fire Lord Zuko!" One boy said happily.

"You should have just ask us to join in," A little girl mentioned, "I think you scared mommy!"

"What a treat!" A man cried out.

"You had us going there for a moment," An elderly woman added, "But we know what a kind soul you have, Fire Lord Zuko!"

"We certainly have a wonderful ruler!"

The three master benders looked on as the townspeople continued to compliment Zuko. Katara would have been smiling if she knew that it was real, however, she could tell that Zuko was not happy. He was merely playing to the crowd and wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Thank you for your kind words," The water bender said as she waved to the audience.

"However, it is near dinner time and we must be on our way," Iroh added as he continued to act goofy for the audience.

"Yes, yes please don't let us keep you guys," An older woman said.

"Please come ate at our store next time!" A merchant exclaimed.

The three nodded politely and began to continue their walk. The restaurant was not far from where they had stopped, however, the atmosphere made it seem a hundred times worse than it should have been. As they reached the establishment, Zuko had rushed them into the building and hurried the workers to set them. The moment their butts had touched the wooden chair, the Fire Lord began to speak.

"Explain." Zuko demanded as they sat down at a private dinner table.

The restaurant they went to was very upscale, It was filled with only the best citizens. Each table had a vase filled with Fire Lilies in the center that was lit up by the light of two candles. The waiters were young adults and very posed. Not one of them had a shirt unbuttoned or a hair out of place.

The water master took a seat at the table, the bickers from Zuko floating in the air as she tried to look at the menu in front of her. She knew that her fire bender was upset, but she wanted to prolong the situation. Iroh, on the other hand, merely asked the waiter to bring their usual feast and to rush the tea out for the table. He wanted something warm to calm Zuko, however, his nephew was already spitting fire.

"If you want anything else, Katara, you can let me know," Iroh mentioned as he indicated that their meal was already half the menu.

"I'm sure that you already ordered-"

"KA-TAR-RA!" Zuko cried once more as he slammed his hands on the table.

Both benders stared at the Fire Lord and was suddenly overjoyed that their table was in the private section of the restaurant. The only person allowed to enter the room was the waiters and host, who were currently preparing the things they had requested.

"Sheeesh, Zuko… we didn't even get our food yet," The water bender groaned as she tried to cope with the unfair impatience of her lover. She had expected this behavior, but living through it was different than imagining it.

"I want an explanation on why you have firebending burns on you!"

The water bender sighed and looked toward Iroh for help. He merely took a sip of his tea and with a moment of silence nodded his head, "You might as well just tell him…"

After a while of explaining and two plates of food later Zuko sat very quiet through the entire explanation. Katara made sure to chose what to say very carefully and knew that any weird or wrong combination would send her future husband off the wall.

"So…. he attacked you," Zuko finally said.

"Not attack... he… didn't seem in the right state of mind. If he was going to attack me, I'm sure that it would have been with a Fireball or… flaming whip-"

"We do not have whip flames, Katara," Iroh chuckled, "Just what we can dream up in our battles."

"The point being is that he didn't attack me, he was just… not himself!"

"So he's crazy now?" The Fire bender responded rapidly, "If that's the case, we cannot have a crazy person among us."

"Zuko!"

"What Katara is trying to say nephew, is that it's not Tai's fault," Iroh added quietly, "His actions were not being reflected by his mind, but by his memories."

"How is attacking someone not their fault?" Zuko spit out, "What if Katara cannot heal it? I know that she is powerful, but don't girls worry about their appearances? How can I sit back when someone harmed the person I am to wed!"

The water bender looked at the dark pink marks on her arm. She knew her complexion was never the greatest, however, she didn't have any noticeable mark on her skin. She wanted to say something to Zuko to calm him down, but she wasn't sure how she should approach the matter. His anger wasn't due to the fact that Katara could be imperfect. He never cared much for her looks. She knew that he was angry over the fact that Tai attacked her.

"Someone he loves," Katara thought quietly.

She was touched by the action, however, she knew that she didn't want Tai to get fired over her. How, then, could she relay that message to Zuko without causing him to be angry at everyone? The entire table remained quiet, the sound of food being consumed filling the air as no one said anything to one another.

"What do you want me to do?" Zuko asked slowly as he stared at the water bender.

"I would hope…." She said, "That you would forgive and forget?"

"Easier said than done," Iroh added as he picked up his pork bun, "I had said before, Katara, that… second chances are rare and Fire benders do not forget very often."

"But just today," Katara said, "You forgot to put on your robes!"

"I am different," Iroh said with a smile, "And robes… are troublesome. They drag on the floor and you have to clean them all the time!"

The two benders were trying their best to lighten the atmosphere, but, they could still feel the darkness surrounding Zuko.

"You want me to forget that someone on my staff had attacked my fiance?" The Fire Lord asked in a low tone.

"Not forget completely," Katara softly whispered, "But maybe not... kill him?"

"She is right, Zuko," Iroh said, "It would be difficult to find another man to complete Tai's job. Plus you would have to explain why a person in his position had suddenly gone missing. The entire Counsel would have an investigation on the disappearance of Tai and nothing would be quiet. The maids would be accused of poisoning him and-"

Zuko finally let out a loud, long, sigh. "I will have to still talk to General Tai," He said agitatedly, "However, on the matter of his punishment…. I will turn my cheek toward his actions if that is what you want me to do."

"REALLY?" The water bender exclaimed happily, "Are you sure that you're not going to punch him when you see his face…?"

"I do not forgive him for what he did and I will not forget what he had done, but only because you asked me to, Katara," Zuko whispered as he sipped some tea, "only because you care so much…"

The water master smiled as she was touched by the small gestured. She knew that he would not like the story, however, she did not expect him to drop it so easily. Perhaps this was a piece of the new Zuko. The mature one that was never present when they were 16 years old.

"What about me nephew?" Iroh asked, "I ask you all the time to not break things in the castle!"

"Katara is special," Zuko said softly, "And you always make me upset with the clutter you leave around the palace."

"It is not clutter! They are precious to me! I travel around the entire-"

"Uncle you buy them in town from sketchy people," Zuko answered, "This morning I know that you went to the black alley to buy a statue of questionable material."

"But that helps the people survive! I am simply giving them money for food!"

"if that was the case than just give them to gold and leave the useless junk!"

"You never understand me, Zuko" Iroh said jokingly upset, "Oh Katara, what am I to do?"

The remaining dinner was left with small chatter and wedding arrangement as the group had decided to drop the matter. Zuko was still uneasy about the entire ordeal, however, he wanted to make Katara happy and his temper was more settled than it was years ago. He wanted to be someone who understood and forgave, not someone who acted first and regret later.

"I shall talk to him still…." The fire bender thought as he stared at his fiance from across the table, "I won't kill him, but I'll talk to him."

Zuko stared at his plate for a moment when he felt a small touch on his hand from under the table. He looked up to see his water bender smiling at him before she continued to talk to Uncle Iroh about seating arrangements for the wedding.

"On second though," He thought, "Maybe I will kill him."

He shook the idea from his mind as he realized that he had promise Katara he would not destroy the very person who was causing him a massive headache, however, he had to thank General Tai for one thing. He now knew how much Katara had invaded his life. He now had a sense of how important one person must be too him to him to have his very being shook by a small injury. A person so embedded into his life that if she was no longer there, he wouldn't know what kind of person he may become.

"I love you, Katara." Zuko said suddenly as he interrupted the small chat the water bender and his uncle were having.

"I... love you too, Zuko" Katara said shyly.

"Yeah..."

"What about me, Nephew?" Iroh asked happily.

"I hold no comment on that."


Author Note: Hello everyone! I decided to cut the chapter there because I wanted to go in a certain direction. The next chapter will be up more quickly this time around because like I said I got a new laptop :D Yay for technology ! … ha … haha. this chapter wasn't one of my best, but everyone has to have 1 or 2 bad ones to get to the good stuff.

In the next chapter
Confrontations runs high

Lemonade is being made

and Katara gets kidnapped?