I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any of the names or characters of the show. I merely control them for my own twisted pleasure from this point in the story on.

Chapter 23: Second Thoughts

Disbelief worked its way through her as he held her closer. If she'd had any doubts about who he was before this point, they were completely gone when she caught the scent that told her this really was the Blue Spirit.

What would she call him? His name wasn't Lee and she couldn't go back to calling him Blue. Would she call him Prince Zuko? Would he be offended if she didn't? Would he be offended if she did?

She pulled away slightly, only because suddenly it seemed like things were going way too fast. Why had she come back when she hadn't thought it all the way through first? It felt like the world was spinning out of control, and the only way to stop it was to step away from him.

"This is wrong," she said under her breath, hoping he hadn't heard her, but when he stiffened she knew he had. She didn't even have to look at his face, but when she did the anger there made her stomach turn.

He took a deep breath and the anger turned to hurt understanding as he loosened his grip but didn't let go. Realizing her mistake, she stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and laying her head on his chest. "That came out wrong," she said and held on to him for dear life, so afraid he would go away.

"How did we get here?" she asked quietly in disbelief, holding on tighter. "How did we of all people end up like this?"

She was asking so many questions and knew neither she nor Zuko had any answers. Having never felt this way before in her life, she had no idea how to deal with it. They were enemies…weren't they?

She couldn't think of him as an enemy anymore. She knew he was Fire Nation, knew he was their Prince. Exile or not, the blood of the Fire Lord ran through his veins. It was then that she wondered when she'd turned into her brother.

So many voices ran through her head. Her brother's hatred of the Fire Nation, the last words her father said to her. Everyone she'd ever cared about was against the Fire Nation, and that made Zuko their enemy too.

"I shouldn't have done this," she said as she forced her way out of his arms. Her heart rate increased as panic griped her. They would never accept him; they would never accept her love for him.

The Fire Nation had nearly destroyed her people. She took a step back.

They'd killed her mother. Another step.

They were trying to kill Aang. She couldn't breathe anymore.

Zuko was trying to kill Aang.

"Katara," suddenly she heard his voice and no one else's. She looked up at him, stunned. "Please…" He held out his hand to her; when she saw the wounded look on his face, she knew she wasn't going to run away anymore.

He'd called her Katara. Not peasant, not little waterbender… Katara.

She stopped backing up, and lowered her gaze to the ground.

Zuko wasn't trying to kill Aang. He'd never tried to kill Aang. Even at the North Pole, all Zuko had done was tie him up and drag him along. And being the honorable person he was, he had to have had a reason. She couldn't forgive him for the things he'd done, but she could look past them.

Zuko had rescued them from Sho. Remembering back to something Aang had said before the Blue Spirit arrived, she wondered if maybe Zuko had done something similar before.

But it didn't matter now. All that mattered was that she had feelings for him and she had to face them.

"This is wrong."

Confusion filled him at her words. What was wrong? Could she be talking about them, about what had just happened? This wasn't wrong, this was perfect. Anger was his automatic reaction because she'd hurt him. But as he watched her think it over, he understood that she wasn't trying to hurt him; she was just overwhelmed.

"That came out wrong," she said and her grip tightened around his waist.

Why was she trying to run away? ...What a stuipid question. There were plenty of reasons for her to flee. She was only a child like he was, but luck had been kinder to her. Tough as she was, she wasn't as tough as he'd been forced to be.

"How did we get here?" she asked quietly. "How did we, of all people, end up like this?" He didn't have an answer, for her or for himself. "I shouldn't have done this," She pulled away from him and took a few steps back. He watched as hesitation filled her eyes.

He wouldn't let her go.

"Katara," the emotion in his voice may have made her think him weak, but that didn't matter. He refused to let others affect her decisions; he knew that if she'd been alone in her head, leaving wouldn't have crossed her mind. "Please." He held out his hand, wishing he could find some way to keep her.

She stopped backing up and looked at the ground. What was she thinking? Was her mind made up? Would she leave?

She raised her eyes to meet his and reached out to take his hand. Zuko took it without hesitation and pulled her into the strongest embrace he could muster without hurting her.

"It doesn't matter how we got here," he whispered into her ear as her held her closer. "We're here now."

"But where do we go from here?" Her voice was cracking with tears. How hard had her decision really been? How hard could it be? Her tears made him wonder what she'd chosen him over. "What happens now?"

"Now, you face the choices you've made."

Both of them turned to see his uncle standing beside a familiar tree. The old man had his hands in his sleeves, like usual, and a sad smile on his face. The tree beside him had a small fist-sized scorch mark in the trunk not far off the ground. Zuko didn't remember putting it there, but he was sure he had.

"Do not misunderstand me; I am very happy for you both." He lowered his arms and walked forward towards them and Katara turned in Zuko's arms to face the old man. Zuko was glad to hear it; he'd been worried about what his uncle would think. "You two have had to grow up very quickly, so this comes as no surprise. Unfortunately, circumstances prevent you from simply being young people in love."

"I don't understand," Zuko said, but Katara took a step forward.

"I do," she said, and turned to face him, placing a hand on his scarred cheek. "We can't make decisions as children anymore, or even as teenagers. We have to get through this as adults."

Anger filled him, and confusion. "How can we do this as adults when the adults are acting so childish?" he demanded.

"That is why it is so important, nephew," Iroh said calmly and Zuko looked up at him.

"I don't understand."

Katara placed and hand on his shoulder and drew his attention back down at her face. "Someone has to be the grown up," she turned to look at his uncle, "right?"

He smiled as warmly at her as he always had to Zuko. "Exactly."

Suddenly, an uncomfortable thought occurred to him. "Uncle," Zuko asked cautiously, "how long have you been standing there?"

Katara's blush was almost worth it, Zuko thought when his uncle answered with a sly smile, "Long enough."

This is where my Author Notes go...Enjoy.

"Long enough to know I'll have plenty of grandchildren in the future. :D!"-isadork-

Sorry that it's not very long, but I didn't know what else could go in this chapter. Everything that happens after this is kind of all at once, and it's gonna be hard to break it apart.

Umm, what else… Oh!

If you've never heard it, go find the song Fly, by Hillary Duff.

Now, don't give me that face! I know, I know. But the song is REALLY good. And really fits Zuko, and not just Zuko from this fic.

And I've already planned the sequel out…mostly. Good news to one of my fans (I hope) because the sequel will be focused around two of her original characters. Hehehe. It won't be written until later this mouth, I'm afraid, because of work, but keep an eye out for it. I can't write it until I've finished this fic just in case something changes, because like I've said before: Characters love to take over in this story.

I LOVED Lake Logai. It fits in real well for how I plan on ending the fic.

It is just me, or is Zuko's hair getting tottaly hotter?

Oh and I got another fan art. Its a picture of Zuko slamming his fist into the tree from a few chapters ago. See how I gave the tree a cameo? The link is on my profile. CHECK IT OUT!!! -grins-

Anyway, please review with your thoughts.