Note to the Reader: Here is chapter 3. Finally. I'm sorry I didn't update sooner. I've had a lot of exams and stuff for school so I didn't have time to update. But I hope you'll like this chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 3: Note to Zuko

"Now will you tell me what happened?" Iroh asked his nephew. The old man sat on his knees at the tea table in their small apartment while Zuko lied on the wooden long chair in the corner of the room. The apartment they lived in was small, but it was better compared to wandering out in the wilderness and camping out all the time.

Zuko grunted and shifted his body so he was facing the wall.

"Nephew?" Iroh asked, looking up at him.

Zuko just lied there without uttering a sound. He didn't want to talk about this, but he had told his uncle he would tell him later. Now was later and now was time to for him to speak. "After you made you talk to that girl, this morning," the young man whispered.

"Yes?"

"She forgot her book bag when she left the tea shop. I went to return it to her." Zuko stopped there.

"And that's what's bothering you?" Iroh's tone cast a sense that he didn't believe that that was all of it.

"No," Zuko said. He turned over to face his uncle again.

"Then what is it?"

Zuko looked at the ground with an emotionless face. Should he mention the alleyway? Or maybe he should just get to the point... He didn't want to talk about this. "I returned it to her and we just stood there for a while. Then someone bumped into her. She almost fell and I caught her. Then I... kissed her." With his last words, Zuko swung his face away from his uncle.

Iroh raised and eyebrow. "And that's bad?"

"Don't you get it Uncle?!" Zuko jumped from his seat into a sitting position. He sat there glaring at the old man.

"Well... I—"

"If I get her involved with me, she's just going to be dragged into the same mess I'm in! She doesn't deserve it." Zuko lowered his voice and hung his head.

"It sounds like you really care for the girl," Iroh said, stroking his bread.

"What?" Zuko shot him an angry look. Then he face softened. "No. I... I just—"

"You wouldn't stutter like that if you didn't." Iroh took another sip from his tea cup.

"You— that's not true." Zuko stood up and storm towards the door. He paused in front of the passage between the living room and his room when he heard his uncle voice again.

"Are you sure?"

Zuko growled and slammed the door behind him.

Iroh sighed, gently placed his tea cup down, and went over to his door. He gave a sympathetic look that his nephew could not see. "I know you're confused."

No reply.

"Prince Zuko, just make the choice that will bring you happiness."

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Zuko and Iroh woke up to another typical day in the tea shop. Zuko did his daily tasks; serving out tea, cleaning up after the customers, washing the dishes. But on this particular day, a few men wandered over to his uncle for a conversation. It wasn't a strange one at first. They complimented on his tea like every other customer that came, but then the man's voice changed into a business-like tone. Zuko glanced over at his uncle. He saw Pong, the shop manager try to offer Iroh position after position in the shop. Each one was higher than the last.

He passed by them and Iroh said, "Did you hear, nephew? This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the upper ring of the city!"

"That's right young man. You're life is about to change for the better." The man who had made the offer said.

Zuko said nothing and continued towards the front door. He dropped the tray from his hand onto the nearest table and muttered, "I'll try to contain my joy."

With that, he went outside. His mind was a white slate until a piece of paper floated down into his hands. Zuko ran his eyes through the ad. It was... The Avatar's Bison!? Zuko quickly climbed up easily to the top of the roof. He surveyed his viewings. Millions of flyers were snowing down over Ba Sing Se. The sound of paper was flapping like a thousand bird wings. A jolt started at the bottom of his stomach. This was his chance. The Avatar was right under his nose. He'd catch the avatar, return to Fire Nation, he'll be even better than Azula, and ... and Jin? Wait... why is Jin in my mind? Jin...

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That afternoon, he returned back to his small, run down apartment. He slid the door open and his uncle was there packing up clothes and his belongings into a traveling case.

"So, I was thinking about names for our new tea shop. How about, the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it."

Zuko ignored the names and handed out the flyer he found. "The Avatar's here in Ba Sing Se and he's lost his bison."

Iroh rose and eyebrow and took the flyer while Zuko walked over to the window. He glanced over if for a mare second and said, "We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."

Zuko turned around sharply. "Good things that are happening for you. Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and job serving tea?"

"There's nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest that you think about what it is you want from your life and why."

"I want my destiny." Zuko said flatly.

"What that means is up to you."

Zuko had already started towards the door. Iroh didn't want him to leave; he wasn't done with him yet. He thought about it for a second and said, "Is finding a true friend a part of this destiny?"

"No." Zuko muttered, more to himself than anyone.

"What about Jin?" Iroh asked slyly.

Zuko grunted, which sounded more like a choke. "She's not a friend..."

"A lover, then?" Iroh fought hard against smiling.

"That's not your business, Uncle!" Zuko shouted without turning around.

Iroh sighed. "She passed by the shop today."

"Jin?" Zuko asked, turning around.

Iroh nodded. Good...

"Why did she come?"

"She stopped by and..."

"Mister Mushi?" Jin asked the old man at the counter.

"Oh Jin, hello," Iroh replied to the girl. He smiled seeing her again.

"Hello. Um... is Lee here?"

"He's out somewhere I think. Oh and Jin?" Iroh dropped his voice.

"Yeah?" Jin leaned closer to hear him.

"My nephew and I will be leaving this tea shop to start our own in the upper ring."

"Oh..." Jin's face saddened but congratulated him. Tch... great. Now I'll never be seeing Lee again. Why the upper ring? Jin felt her stomach flipping but held in her unhappiness. Jin took in a breath. Calm down will you? You always get so depressed about everything little thing... Lee will think that you're a burden if you're always like this. This is why you're always such a turn down on boys anyways—

"You wanted to see Lee right?"

"What? Oh Yeah, I did." Jin snapped out of her thoughts. "Do you know where he went? I can probably go get him."

"No, sorry."

"Well, here," Jin said handing him a piece of paper. "Give this to him for me."

"Where is it?" Zuko asked in a somewhat demanding tone.

Iroh reached into his sleeve and pulled out the note Jin had given to him. Zuko walked over to him and took the note from his uncle.

Dear Lee,

I want to meet in at the firelight fountain again. Tonight at half moon, alright? I hope to see you there.

Love,

Jin

"What does it say?" Iroh asked.

"She wants to meet me again..." Zuko murmured.

"Are you going to?" Iroh asked again curiously.

Zuko said nothing. He took the note and left.

Ending Notes from Sixthstellestial: All I ask for is a lot of good reviews.