A/N: YAY! I'm writing again. After the long hiatus of Zutara Month and getting back into the swing of things, I'm back! I can't promise when I'll update as of yet, but I will. I've just got to get back into a routine and stuff after the holidays and Zutara Month. So bear with me while I figure that out and read on!
Zuko's jaw dropped as he saw the figure on his bed. "WHAT are YOU doing here?" He questioned, shocked to see the person in question.
"Now now Fire Lord, is that way way to treat a guest?
"You're not my guest! "You broke into my home and my bedroom. The guards would never have let you in without my permission, which they would assume I would not give."*
She shrugged and smirked. "I may have a bit of a reputation."
He rolled his eyes. "A bit a reputation? I think that's an understatement."
"So what if it is? What does it matter to you?" She "I am who I am. Now are you going to welcome me Prince Pouty or are you going to keep pouting?"
The Fire Lord hushed her after that, not wanting anyone to hear her old nickname for him. "I am not pouting! And I'm not a Prince anymore. I am Fire Lord, YOU Fire and you need to respect that."
"Prince, Lord all the same different to me." She waved her hand around dismissively, staring up at him with a challenge in her eyes. "The point is this: when are you going to ask me why I'm here?"
Hearing that challenge in her voice, his attitude changed. "Alright June, why are you here?"
"Now that's more like it. Aren't you going to offer me a place to stay? Or refreshments? MY LORD."
"June, I don't like playing games."
"Fine fine." She replied, pausing for a moment. "How's your girlfriend?"
He had to hold back a scream at his frustration. "JUNE! I DO NOT LIKE PLAYING GAMES!"
"So she IS your girlfriend…"
"June she's NOT my girlfriend." He replied with clenched fists. "No matter how any times you say that it won't make it true."
"But I heard you broke up with your fling. You know the tall pale chick with the knives?" She questioned, enjoying his frustration.
"That wasn't a fling June. Mai was my girlfriend."
"And now she's not." The bounty hunter supplied.
"Why am I even telling you this? Why are you asking this? Why are you even here June?"
"So formal." She mused. "Fine. I'll get to the point. I have some information I think you'll want."
Zuko wasn't in the mood to mess around. He was tired and sick of dealing with idiots. "What information could you have that I would possibly want?"
"I'm not trying to find the Avatar anymore. I'm not trying to find my Uncle. I know where everyone that matters is, and I'm not trying to find anyone. I don't have any bounties out on people and if you were trying to kill or capture me you'd have done a better job of it. So why are you here? What information do you have?"
June tutted and shook her head. "You know where everyone is do you?" She questioned, standing up as though to leave. "Then I guess you don't want this bit of information I have on your mother."
The Fire Lord paled at the suggestion. "Are you saying that you know where my mother is?"
"Uh uh huh I never said I knew where she was. I said I had information."
"I hired you to find her before and you couldn't find her! Why should I believe you now?!" He growled. "You said tht Nyla couldn't get her scent."
"That's true. This wasn't Nyla's doing." June This, This was just some information that had been passed along to me about a woman who may match her description."
"Don't worry," She replied, seeing the look of concern on his face. "I didn't name names. They don't know I'm looking for the former Fire Princess. All they know is I'm looking for someone and that they may have information. Not unusual." The bounty hunter "I just put out some feelers to see if anyone had seen her. I don't like failing."
"So what is it?"
"I don't just give out information for free, Fire lord Zuko. I never have." June taunted, smirking. "But if you make it worth my while, then I think we could come to a business arrangement."
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine June, what is it you want?"
"You know what I want." The bounty hunter said seriously.
"Money?"
"If it works, it works."
"Fine. I will pay you and then will you tell me where my mother is?"
"Let's go have a chat. This is going to be a long night." June recommended, standing up. "Let's go have some tea, or some whiskey." She responded playfully.
He groaned, exasperated. "June…"
"It's a business arrangement. That's why I said tea first."
The two walked off together, heading towards one of the meeting rooms. If the guards outside his door, or the few servants they passed, had any questions about why a bounty hunter was walking out of the Fire Lord's bedroom with him, they didn't ask.
Katara turned to Sokka, sighing in frustration as he was eating once again. "don't you ever get enough food?"
"What're you talking about? There's no such thing as enough food." Her brother mumbled through the food in his mouth.
She sighed, looking out into the ocean. "Do you think the crew would mind if I sped things up a little?"
Knowing that tone of voice, Sokka put down the rest of the food and finished what he had in his mouth. You knew it was serious when Sokka put down the food. He didn't do that for just anyone. After swallowing, he decided to get to the root of the problem. "Katara, what is it?" He asked seriously but calmly. He knew his sister and he knew how to approach this. "What's going on? Are you depressed?"
"I'm not depressed Sokka. I'm just…thinking." Katara responded, turning to face her brother instead of the water surrounding them. "I'm…worried."
"This is about Zuko isn't it?"
"So what if it is?!" The Waterbender replied defensively. "He's our friend Sokka. And when Iroh wrote that letter to me, to us…"
"It was to you Katara." Her brother said without hesitation. He didn't feel bad. Iroh wrote to him too occasionally, but the letters were of a different nature.
"When he wrote that letter, I just couldn't help but worry…"
"Katara you're not his mother." Sokka chided, knowing his sister's mothering tendencies firsthand.
She shook her head, the signature braid waving along with it. "No, not like that. I guess what I'm trying to say is…"
"You miss him." Her brother replied astutely, putting an arm around his baby sister.
"I do." Katara replied quietly. She hugged her brother back and closed her eyes. It was nice to be the one being held for once. "Sokka, I miss him." This one sentence was spoken with such emotion, deep emotion that Sokka had to wonder what was truly behind it.
"But you probably miss him too. Right Sokka? He is our friend." And the barrier was back up. But Sokka knew how to see through it. He grew up with her. "I wonder if he's enjoying life at all. Iroh's letter made it sound as though it was all work."
"And no play?" The chief-in-training teased, nudging his sister.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes, nudging back. "Being the Fire Lord has lots of responsibilities. He's probably cooped up in that palace all day. The best-case scenario is that he gets out performing his duties. Does he have any time to himself? Has he been running himself ragged? I'm going to have to give him a piece of my mind when I get there!"
Sokka just snorted at his sister's rant. O the irony…
"What?"
"Katara you DO realize you're being a hypocrite."
"What do you mean I'm being a hypocrite?" She questioned, putting her hands on her hips in her signature pose.
"How many times have you run yourself into exhaustion?" Sokka questioned, knowing the answer.
"I do not."
Sokka put up his fingers to begin listing examples. "When you were 3. You were following mom around all the time and you wanted to know everything, learn everything. You wanted to help and you got so excited that you had just discovered your magic water and stuff…"
"It's called Waterbending Sokka."
He grinned. He was purposefully baiting his sister. "I know. But magic water sounds cooler. Point being you followed her around like a little puppy. You worked yourself to the point where you fell asleep in the snow while you waited for her to finish. She laughed, picked And you were THREE Katara…"
The swordsman pointed to another finger. "When you were five." He listed another example, thinking of many he could continue with. "
It was then that the water tribseman took a deep breath to remind her of a painful, but accurate example. "And then when mom died. You exhausted yourself trying to fill her shoes all of a sudden and help Gran-Gran, and dad. " He frowned, trying to bring it back to something less depressing. "The point is Katara, that you have a history of doing this. "
"Sokka this isn't about me. It's about Zuko."
"Ok fine. It's about Zuko. And you telling him off. But you telling someone else not to do what you do is kinda the pot calling the kettle black. And Zuko has Iroh. He's got Mai. He's got like a whole shit ton of servants to watch him."
"It's not like that Sokka. It's not about looking after him the way I look after you. You're my brother."
"OOOO. I see." The older one replied, grinning now. He was grateful for the less serious change and the opportunity to tease his sister.
"What does that mean 'I see'?"
Putting his hands up in defense, Sokka continued to grin. "Nothing, nothing."
"This is getting no where. It's just genuine concern for his well-being."
"If you say so. Either way, we'll find out soon enough."
"Thanks Sokka. I'm sorry I wasn't very patient about the whole thing."
"It's fine sis." He replied. "You're a little jumpy."
Katara didn't comment but she didn't consider herself jumpy or defensive. But perhaps she was a little bit of the later. She looked at her brother again, trying to change the subject. "So…do you think they'd mind if I sped things up a bit? I'd rather get to the Fire Nation sooner thn later."
"Hey, if you wanna use your magic water.
"Sokka stop calling it magic water!"
"Hey! That's what it is! Bending or no bending, it's always going to be magic water."
"You were five when you said that."
"SO? It stuck. What's the matter with that?"
"Urgh. Sokka. "
"Fine if you want to use your waterbending…"
"Thank you."
"To speed things up a little then I'm sure no one would really care. Maybe go easy though, just so they don't freak out."
"Sokka I'm a Master Waterbender. I think I can manage."
He looked at her as she walked off to speak to the captain. Hopefully this visit will be better. Hopefully it will do her some good. Despite his humorous exterior, he was actually quite intelligent in his own way. He was a brilliant strategist and a very caring big brother. Katara had always done her best to look out for him, but he had to do his best to look after her too. She was his sister, his family, and she always would be. The best thing he could do now, to help her, was to get them to the Fire Nation and have a chat with the Fire Lord.
A/N: Yay! I updated! It's been about 2 months but you love me anyways yes? Things will not be regular. I can almost guarantee that. But if you pester me I'm sure I can update soon enough. I've been recording the chapters on my phone with the voice recorder because I have inspiration when I can't physically grab a pen and paper. But yes! I've got more ready to be typed up, just need the privacy and quiet!
For now, this is what we have. But hey, finally know what's in Zuko's bedroom! Or who! ;)
Hope you enjoy this and sorry for the delay!
~ K