TELL ME SOMETHING?

"What do you mean?" Zuko furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his masculine arms.

The lady smiled, "Only time we ever see water tribe people here is when we are importing goods, and too see one wondering the street with one of our own is astounding," she looked back as Katara walked out of the bathroom. She grinned at her and looked back to Zuko.

Katara walked back from the bathroom and met up with Zuko and the woman. "Hello, ma'm, I was just telling your fiancée how remarkable it was that," she wasn't able to finish the sentence.

Zuko quickly intervened, "Were not a couple," he tried his best not to make a big deal of it.

The woman continued to smile, it reminded him ridiculously of Zhy, "I'm sorry I saw the betrothal necklace and assumed…" she didn't get to finish that statement either

Katara held her hand up and let if fall slowly to her side, "Its alright it would throw me, too," Katara smiled sweetly to the woman and gripped her betrothal necklace.

The trio stood in silence until the woman spoke up, "My name is Shi Lynn, and I am a caretaker at this orphanage." She held out her hand to shake.

"Wait, this is an orphanage?" Katara asked as she noticed the frolicking children, she couldn't believe she missed them earlier.

"Why of course it is…are you here to foster or possible take one of them?" Shi Lynn's eyes widened as if to beg them to take one of them.

Zuko shook his head and Katara spoke up, "No, we just came in here for a bathroom,"

Shi Lynn's face fell, "The children keep flooding in, and we actually got a new girl yesterday. She is a quiet one." She pointed to a girl sitting all alone reading a book.

Katara evaded the woman and walked to the isolated girl. She felt drawn to her, like she was calling her name.

"Katara, we have to go…nothings adding up." Zuko began to follow her to prod her to leave. She ignored him and knelt by the little girl.

Zuko quickly walked behind her, "Come on. Let's go." Katara looked at him and back to the girl.

"It's her," Katara looked up to Zuko and he gave her a perplexed look. He looked at the girl and watched as Katara stroked her long charcoal hair.

He gazed into her green eyes and studied her tan skin, "Zhy?"

They entered the Eastward hotel and quickly began to make their way up the stairs. Yuan jumped up to stop them.

"Excuse me, do you have a room here?"

Katara nodded her head, "Of Course we do…"

"What are you names?"

Zuko stepped over to the desk, "I'm Zuko and this is Katara, we had two separate rooms 120 and 121." There was concern remnant in his voice.

Yuan scanned through a small stack of papers, "I don't see your names," the black haired man stared at them in contempt.

"No really," Katara placed her hand on her forehead, "I have the key!" Katara rummaged through her pockets and dug through coins. She furrowed her eyebrows and pulled out the money. There was 20 golden pieces and she eyed them quizzically. She didn't have money before.

She placed the coins in one had and continued to dig in her pocket for the key, they were empty.

She brushed her smooth hands against her hair and breathed out in disbelief, "No, I had the key in my pocket,"

"Yeah, right," Yuan couldn't keep his eyes off of the money in her hand.

Zuko began to dig in his pocket and also pulled out 20 gold pieces. There was no key in his pockets either.

Yuan quickly got up and gaped at the coins in their hands, "The rooms 120 and 121 are occupied, but I can give you our only vacant room, it is the only room no one was able to afford." Yuan grabbed for the money in their hands.

They unwillingly handed it to him. Yuan took and key off of the key ring and led them up the stairs.

They continued from the first floor to the second to the third, and the only room on that floor was labeled Room 200. Yuan handed the key to Zuko.

"Enjoy your stay very, very much. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are free with this purchase of the room. And I think you will be most satisfied," The young man turned to leave.

"Hold on," Katara called to the retreating man, "Who is in rooms 120 and 121?"

Yuan swayed his hand back and forth, "That is classified information, my dear." Yuan turned to leave.

Katara felt a pull on the corners of her pockets and she dug in them to see what it was,

"How much?" she pulled 5 gold coins from her pocket

Yuan swiftly turned around as he heard the jingle of coins, "How much you got?"

Katara placed 5 gold coins into Yuan's palms, he began to speak, "121, there is a firenation woman…her name is Kurita and in 120 there is a woman named…uhh…Shale, that's right."

Yuan began to walk down the steps and back by his desk. The moon was high in the sky and the formally busy town streets were calming down as people were retreating to their homes for the night.

Zuko looked at the key in his hand, he placed it in the keyhole on the door and slowly opened it.

Inside, the walls were a rich golden color and candles were spread around the room like lace. The bed was king size and the bedspread was red with velvet outline. There was blue ribbon sewn into the edges of the sheets.

The podium at the end of the bed was a lush dark green. Katara guessed the variety of colors was to show unity of the four nations.

The night stand was a burnt yellow, and a maple brown, Zuko supposed that was to represent the air nomads.

In a clear bucket full of ice was a bottle of cherry wine. It was on a maple table with a vanity mirror against the wall.

Katara examined the room, "You really do get more bang for your buck," she walked over to the bottle on the vanity mirror's desk. There were two wine glasses placed on both ends of the table.

Yi placed the key in the lock and the door squeaked open. "There ya'll is!"

Zuko and Katara opened their eyes, and a boom of thunder clapped through the room.

They were spooning…Zuko and Katara both jumped out of bed. A banging headache rang through both of their heads and they both clutched it for ease.

Lightening lit up the dark room, and Katara and Zuko observed the room.

The bedspread was worn and dirty. Zuko looked around and the walls were rotting, and the gold paint was falling to the dusty, infested floor.

The vanity mirror, Katara observed, was shattered and shards of glass were on the table below.

"What?" Katara held her head and looked at the inn keeper, "Yi?"

"A course, child, who else would it be…Any ways how'd ya'll get in here? The door was bolted shut."

"Well, yesterday everything was-" Katara started, but Zuko quickly cut her off, "Did you inherit this inn?"

Yi looked at him quizzically, "Ya, I did,"

"Was your father's name Yuan?" Zuko persisted

"Ya, how'd you know?" Yi asked, he looked amused at the conversation. Yi was starting to think Zuko was a mind reader.

"Because, yesterday we-" Zuko cut Katara off again, "Come on, Katara we need to check something out,"

He pulled on Katara's sleeve leading her out of the door, Katara clutched her head. Zuko trotted down the stairs and the squeaks echoed through the inn. Katara grabbed her head tightly and slowly made her way down the stair case.

"I," she sucked air between her teeth from the pain of her head, ", was trying to figure out why…" she bended water out of her pouch and touched it to her forehead, "We seemingly, transported somewhere else for one day and came back. Maybe Yi has some information"

Zuko rolled his eyes, "Maybe we should keep this to ourselves, It seems to me like you like being refered to as Crazy, but I don't,"

"You do have a point, but this is weird, one day this place is deserted and the next its thriving with folks," She bended the water back into her pouch she felt a lot better

"Shale, was in room 121, my old room, but I don't think she's there now,"

Zuko stared of into space, "Zhy, we saw Zhy. Then Yi was the son of Yuan, who said Yi would inherit the inn…Do you think…" he shook his head softly, "No that can't be it,"

"What?" Katara neared him careful of her proximity

"It's a preposterous idea," Zuko smirked at it

"Everything here seems ridiculous and out of proportion," she lifted her hands and tried her best to prod him into submission

"Well, uh," he seemed hesitant, "Do you think… we could have… traveled back in time?"

Katara laughed aloud and placed a hand on Zuko shoulder, he pulled away. Katara's smile dissipated.

"If someone told me I was going to travel about two months ago I would laugh, but it makes sense."

"I hope we go back to find more answers," Zuko said quietly to himself

A feeling went through Katara's body, it was a need, "I'm hungry," Katara stated as she held her stomach

A loud boom of thunder rang through the small empty tavern.

Katara and Zuko sat down at the long table stools.

Zuko had been done eating for some time now, but Katara continually stuffed herself.

The old waiter walked over to her, "Don't eat too fast," he shook his head, "I don't see how one person can eat all of that,"

Katara grinned, "Can I have another order of tea and pickles,"

The waiter looked at her suspiciously, "If that's what you really want,"

"Actually…I want some whip cream on top if it's not to much trouble," Katara's eyes were bright as she stuffed another bunch of strawberry noodles into her mouth

"It's no trouble, it's just an interesting food choice, ma'm,"

The waterbender grinned shamefacedly, "I am eating more than normal,"

The waiter walked to the back of the old raggedy tavern to retrieve the order.

Zuko sat uneasily beside Katara, he had something on his mind. He watched Katara as she gulped down the last bit of strawberry noodles.

He knew he needed to tell her what Zhy had told him to, it was just so hard to say…

He slowly started to speak, "Katara, I have something to tell you…" Zuko let his eyes wonder off, and he fiddled with his thumbs.

He was nervous

Katara held her hand to her mouth, "Sorry, but its going to have to wait!" the waterbender ran to find a place to heave.

Katara returned from the bathroom and at her table was a cup of tea with pickles and complementary whip cream, just like she had asked.

"Darn it, I should have asked for a bit of cowbear meat with this,"

Zuko eyed her suspiciously, he had never even heard of a cowbear.

Before Katara indulged herself into her unique dish she faced Zuko, "What did you have to tell me?"

Zuko looked at her cup of tea and back to Katara's eager eyes and back to the tea again,

"Nothing…forget it," He stood up from the table

Katara looked at him with now annoyed eyes, "Are you going to start avoiding me again?"

Zuko ashamedly walked to the tavern doors. Katara jumped up and ran to the doors blocking Zuko's path.

"I thought we were passed that," she held up her finger, "One night, one mistake, one time, we learn to forgive and forget" she was perceptibly angry

Zuko shook his head, "Yes, one night, one mistake, and it was one time, but everybody can't forgive and forget as you can,"

Katara's mood drastically changed, "Zuko," she looked down to the floor, "I depend on you so much now. You can't just walk out on me,"

He shook his head, "I need to think," he shoved past Katara and opened the doors and pouring rain fell onto him as he stepped out of the door.

"Zuko!" Katara was quickly angry again, had he not heard anything she had just said?

"We messed up so much," was all he said before he stepped onto the flooded streets.

The door closed in Katara's caramel face.

Katara turned around and let her back fall back onto the doors, she slowly sunk to the ground in a heap.

"Is there a problem?!" the old man quickly shuffled across the dusty floor to Katara's aid

"No,"

"Is there anything I can get you?"

"A remedy for being emotionally unstable would be nice…"

The old man smiled and placed a hand on her back, "You remind me of my wife when she was bearing my son, her moods would change from happy to sad," he snapped his fingers, "like that, not to mention she ate a lot,"

"I just don't know why I even care that he wants to ignore me!" Katara threw her hands in the air and her hands fell back down onto her forehead.

His voice was soothing and sympathetic as he spoke, "When you are around someone long enough you start to care,"

Katara looked at the old man, "I've only known him for a few months, and we've been enemies before then…"

"You know, me and my wife didn't get along very well during school…in fact we hated each other…but one night when I was older I realized how much she really had to offer,"

Katara looked at him questioningly, "I don't say he is my enemy anymore, but I hate him for leaving me feeling isolated in this deserted city,"

"I'm here aren't I?"

Katara smiled, "Yea," her iced blue eyes looked over the floor, "Yeah, you are,"

The old man stood up from his crouching position and pulled Katara up with him, "Your pickled tea is getting cold,"

Katara looked at the old man leading her to the long bar table, "Thanks," was all she said as she sat on a poorly wiped wooden chair.

"Thanks, for what?" he questioned

"For making me feel better…"

"That's what any man of my years would do, do you mind if I join you for tea?"

Katara smiled at the old mans kindness, "Of course not,"

A/N: Srry for the wait hope it wasnt too long and hope you enjoyed it ;)