Though it grieves me to do this, but I'm going to have to update my Avatar fic

What I have in mind for this story is rather elaborate and is going to take a while. The chapters, however are not flowing as easily as I had hoped they would, the reason being I'm not getting enough expressed interest in this story. Six chapters, ten alerts for this story, lots of hits, and yet I only have roughly three reviews per chapter. That is rather disheartening.

To those of you who have reviewed, thank you so much. You're the only reason I keep writing fanfiction. You guys inspire and motivate me and I wish I could give you bear hugs and cookies!

I'm not asking for much, no in depth analysis of my work, just a few words expressing encouragement, your thoughts, what you like, what you don't like, what I can improve on, what I'm doing well on.

Anyways, now that that's out of the way, here's a little filler chapter of happiness, rage, and revelations. Pardon it's brief nature. I just wanted to give y'all something.

Ursa and Zuko spent much of the night seated in the sitting area of Zuko's rooms. They laughed and cried for hours, remembering their few memories together and Zuko's tales of his friendship with the Avatar.

"Enough about me, Mom," he said as he watched her wipe her eyes with her sleeve. She was still chuckling as she met his gaze. "How did you manage to hide for so long? I scoured the world for you."

Ursa smiled gently and reached out to pat her son's hand. "I've been here in Kireiea. Little attention is given to this city."

His eyes fell to her hand. For the first time, he noticed the burn scar blazed across the back of it. Fury welled inside him at the sight of it.

"Who scarred you?" he demanded.

Ursa retracted her hand quickly and cast her eyes away. She was shame-faced.

"Mom, please."

"Your grandfather," she murmured in response. "The night I killed him."

Zuko sat back in his chair and stared at the elder woman with a stoic expression. It had always been hinted that Princess Ursa had been the cause of Fire Lord Azulon's death, but to have it finally affirmed was a whole new sensation.

There was no anger, just disbelief that his kind, gentle, loving mother could do something like that.

"You hate me now, don't you?"

"No," he replied sincerely. "I just can't believe you did it."

Ursa gave a light shrug. "A mother bear will do whatever it takes to protect her cub."

Again, she reached out, though this time is was to touch Zuko's face. Zuko closed his eyes at the cool touch of her fingertips.

"I wish I could have protected you from that," she said remorsefully.

Zuko opened his eyes to stare at her. "Don't. It's turned out to have made me a better man. Every morning I look in the mirror and am reminded of father's cruelty. It's gives me the strength I need to be nothing like him."

"Such odd logic, my little cub," she said, almost amusedly.

"Gets me through my day."

Again they laughed together, reveling in the fact they were reunited. There was no way possible that the moment could be trumped in Zuko's book.

He had waited years to find some trace of his mother. After all his searching, he found her when he had not been looking for her.

The world could crumble around him and Zuko would remain convinced that life could get no better than this.

"So, do we have an arrangement?"

The dark amber eyes examined the leather pouch on the table top before they flickered to meet golden ones.

The man the amber eyes belonged to was far larger than the woman who sat before him. Though they were both dark-haired and light-eyed, he was bulky and handsome, his skin bronzed by the sun.

She on the other hand, was slender from malnutrition and pale in a sickly way. Her hair was tangled and hung loose to her waist. Black half-circles rested below her wild eyes and made her look even more ragged than she really was.

Prison did that to a person though, he imagined.

"I could probably get a much better price for turning you in, princess," the man said. His voice was deep and taunting.

Azula ground her teeth to tamp down her anger into a manageable form.

"I knew your father, Hito. He was a great man."

"And now he's a dead man. What does it matter?"

"Please understand me," the princess said calmly. "Help me and I'll help you. With Zuko off the throne, I'll be Fire Lord again. And I'll remember you when that day comes. How would you prefer I remember you?"

Hito considered her words carefully. He stroked his ebony beard as his options flew about his brain.

"You'll continued to pay me in stolen gold?"

"Who cares where the gold comes from so long as it ends up in your pocket?" Azula countered with a smirk. "You're too much like your mother to give a damn."

He smiled at that. "You have yourself an ally then, princess."

Azula's smirk spread into a full grin as she reached to shake the massive hand of the man before her. Hope had been restored to her cause.