A/N: I don't even know if anyone is reading this story. I'm more or less writing it for myself now. Which is just fine by me. I want the story to be written out and finished. I'll feel better. Here's the next chapter. Little bit of a time jump.

Several weeks passed and Tei was really shaping up to look like an earthbending cadet. Her muscles on her stomach and arms were much more defined. She went though her drills almost effortlessly now. She was still drenched in sweat at the end of the day, but she wasn't doing the basics anymore. She went through her firebending forms. She was punching and kicking bags, sparring with Lieutenant Jinru and easily avoiding his blows now. She wasn't so lucky when they first started, earning a few good hits to the jaw and some rather rough kicks in the side. Now she just flipped out of the way.

Jinru threw a roundhouse kick her way and she blocked it, moving inside and kicking the back of his leg. He stumbled and fell onto his hands and swung his legs, trying to take out her legs with his own. She jumped backward and flipped onto her hands, pushing off the mat and landing on her feet again; A perfect back flip. Jinru laughed.

"You sure you're an earthbender? You're not exactly staying grounded."

Tei winked at him and returned to her stance. "Gotta keep on my toes while fighting you, Lieutenant."

He got back up in his stance and smiled. "Want a break?"

"No way, I just got warmed up!" She said and bounced on the balls of her feet. "Unless you think you can't take a little girl?"

"There's that firebender spark I've been seeing lately." He smiled and they circled each other. "I was actually thinking of doing something new. But if you aren't interested-"

"No-no! New is good. New is… challenging." She smiled and they both fell out of their stance.

"Alright. Don't get too excited, but it's going to be a step closer to firebending."

Before he could even finish she was squeaking in delight and jumping in place.

"I can't wait! Tell me, what are we doing?" She asked and laughed. He rolled his eyes.

"Okay, on your back."

She was instantly disappointed but knew better than to question him by now. She lay down on her back and put her hands under her butt reflexively.

"Leg rises."

"What?" She whined.

"Come on, up to the top."

She huffed and raised her legs all the way up, her body forming an L.

"Now, when you do these exercises I want you to sing."

"Sing what?"

"Anything. Anything that comes to your mind. It's going to help you learn to control your breathing. It's going to be hard at first, but once you master this, we'll try other things." He said and gave her the command to start, his hands folded behind his back.

"One soundless midday," She sang and he told her to go down.

"The wind was fresh and clean," down again.

"Flower petals sway in the breeze," up.

"As if they were asleep," up. She struggled on the last verse He smiled and nodded and she kept going. She did this for about ten minutes before her face was completely red and she gave up, letting her legs fall.

"Hey, you lasted longer than I thought you would." He said and she got up.

"Maybe you should stop underestimating me." She said with a gleam in her eyes. Their banter had gotten more playful over the weeks and Jinru had opened up a little more. He actually was showing a lukewarm kindness. Better than being completely frigid like he had been, in Tei's opinion.

He took her back to the punching bag and told her to sing while she let loose her fury on the bag. Her lyrics were soft and sweet but her blows were hard and powerful, Jinru having to hold the bag for her. She punched and kicked and sang her heart out until she was gasping for breath, sweat rolling off her skin. He told her to take a break and she sat on the floor facing away from the bag. She ripped off her tank top like it offended her and tossed it across the gym. She sighed at the relief and put a hand on her stomach, rubbing over her muscles. Jinru didn't understand why she wore a tank top anymore, she always ripped it off halfway through the day and finished the day in her shorts and sports bra. He had a hard time figuring her out.

Her chest heaved and he sat down across from her. He passed her a bottle of water which she took gratefully, downing half the bottle and gasping for air.

"Can I ask you something?"

She raised an eyebrow. He never initiated conversation like this. "Sure."

He hesitated like he was trying not to offend her.

"Why do you always sing lullabies?"

"I don't always sing lull-"

"You do. Not just today, but at home. When you sing in the shower…"

She paused and looked to the floor.

"Oh. I didn't know you guys could hear that. Sorry."

He was quiet, his question hanging in the air. She studied his face, his deep russet eyes, and he was searching for the answer on her face. She bit her lip.

"I guess it's because those are the only songs I know."

He was quiet, still looking for more. The silence pulled the rest of the information out.

"They are all songs my dad would sing to me when I couldn't sleep or when I was sad or scared or just needed him. We didn't have any other music. I didn't… I don't know anything else." She faltered on the last line, her fingers gracing her locket for just a moment and falling.

"What's in your locket?"

"Eyes wondering, Sifu?" She joked and he blushed turning his head.

"Forget I asked."

She smiled and leaned back on her hands.

"I'll tell you." He turned back to her slowly and she had his full attention.

"He's a little shorter than you. Incredibly strong. Handsome. A real lady killer. Funny. A genius. Tan with rugged hands but a soft touch-"

"Sounds like a great guy." He cut her off, looking embarrassed again. "So he's what, your boyfriend?"

She laughed so freely it made him stare.

"No way. He's my Dad."

"Oh. That's… nice, actually." She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a small smile on his lips. Instantly she was on her knees and crawling over to him, sitting on her knees in front of him.

"Do you want to see?" She offered and held the silver heart in her hand. He was quiet for a moment and he nodded, taking the heart and opening the latch and looking at the pictures, tugging Tei a little closer so he could see. She was very aware of how close he was to her, but he was completely taken by the pictures. He was quiet for a moment before commenting.

"Is he, like, huge or are you just tiny?"

"Little bit of both." She laughed and he looked at the pictures. One was a shot of Tei and Ryo together, the other was just Ryo's face.

"You have his eyes." He said softly and his eyes lingered on her pink scar for just a hair too long.

"Yeah, well, that's not all I got from him." She smiled and it tasted bittersweet, knowing she was stubborn among other things thanks to her father. Jinru closed the locket and placed it against her skin, withdrawing his hand quickly. He stood and offered a hand for Tei, something he didn't normally do. She took it and they stood together.

"Back to training?"

"Lets spar again." He nodded and they got back in their circle, spending the rest of the day trying to pin one another to the mat. Tei almost succeeded a few times… almost. By the end of the day they were both tired and ready to go home and shower. Tei and Jinru walked out the gym doors and he headed towards the locker room. There was only one on this floor and it was unisex.

"You can use the shower here you know. There's like four of them in here."

"I'd rather not."

"I'm not going to look."

"I don't have clean clothes to change into."

"You could bring some."

She sighed and folded her arms. "I will wait for you right here per the usual, thank you."

He grumbled something like 'suit yourself' and left as she waited. She could hear the water and waited for it to turn off. He was fast but she bet she could be faster. He came out in clean clothes with his bag and they walked to the elevator together. The ride up and the walk to the car gave her an opportunity to ask something.

"So, how did I do today? With the whole breath control, singing thing?"

"Hmm?" He asked, like he was being pulled from deep thoughts. "Oh, yeah you did good. We'll do more tomorrow. I have homework for you though."

"Oh really? What, you want me to sing you to sleep?" She teased and he rolled his eyes.

"No, you need to pick up some new music for your repertoire. Something fast. Something hard. Something fierce. Good training music. Music that is going to help you learn to breathe with your blows and also drive you to do more."

"Well, unless you want to take me to a music store and have me search for something like that, I hope you have something in mind."

The elevator door dinged open and they walked out to the lobby on their way to the car.

"I do actually. I know you don't have much of a taste for technology-"

"Oh really? What tipped you off?" She said sarcastically. He ignored her and continued.

"I am going to let you borrow a personal music listening device." He got into his bag as they reached the car and grabbed something little and black with a black cord coming out of the bottom. They got into the front and he passed it to her, letting it sit on her leg. He took the cord which split on the end and had two earbuds on each end.

"Take these and put them in your ears."

She did as told and he tapped the device on her leg, pressing play and the display came to life, showing a picture of a maroon person on a grey background. The music started and she flinched. It was loud but she kind of liked it. He made her hold it and they started to drive home. The lyrics were fast and harsh and fierce and she felt like she needed to punch something and scream with the words. She listened and heard two guitars, amazing drums, some foreign sounds, and two singers, one who sung fast and clear, another who had a rough, screaming quality. It was amazing. Each song was better than the last. She hadn't realized her eyes were closed but suddenly she was being shaken and she ripped a bud out of her ear.

"What?" She asked and looked around. "Oh, we're home." She pushed the play button and the music stopped. She smiled, feeling accomplished that she figured out a piece of technology on her own. He gave her a look and rolled his eyes again. He did that a lot. She got out and wrapped the cord around the device, walking to the elevator with him.

"So, do you like it?"

"It's exhilarating! I can really train to this music. Oh, my heart is beating so fast. Will that wear off?" She said all at once and he laughed but didn't answer her.

When they reached the door, Tei kicked her shoes off and yelled greetings to Kiko, who shouted back. Tei headed straight for the shower, stopping in her room to get clothes and then darting in the bathroom. She set her clothes on the sink as well as the device. She frowned and pulled the plug of the earbuds, wondering what would happen if she pushed play now. She did so and the song started up again to her delight.

"Not so hard." She smiled and undressed, taking a quick but hot shower. She danced to the music, but her dancing didn't exactly match the genre, a little too much hip swiveling and less head rocking. She couldn't sing though, she didn't know the words yet.

When she was done she got out and dried herself, getting dressed and drying her hair. She put her dry hair up in her normal style and threw her clothes in the hamper, walking out in her oversized shirt into the kitchen.

"Smells good, as always." She smiled and Kiko gave her a hug.

"Hey Tei. I hear you did some new stuff today." She said and took the food over to the table.

"Yes and she did a good job. Not a complete failure." Jinru said and Tei shot him a deadly glare, which just made him smile. He like antagonizing her.

"Also, I heard what you were listening to. Are you aware we are converting you?"

"To what?" She asked and sat at the table.

"To love alternative music?"

"Kiko, I don't even know what that means."

The siblings laughed and Tei shook her head. The food was dished out and dinner was loud, talking excitedly about the music the songs and other types of music and how it can effect someone. When dinner was over Tei and Kiko cleaned up, Jinru heading off to bed early.

The girls relaxed in their pajamas in the living room. Tei lay on the plush rug on her back while Kiko was sprawled out on the couch, reading a magazine. Tei stared at the ceiling as the sun set, running her fingers through Misa's fur who was cuddled up next to her. Tei sighed and Kiko looked down.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…" She was quiet and Kiko tossed her magazine down.

"No you're not, what's wrong?"

"I just-" She groaned and sat up, folding her legs under her. "I just want to learn some firebending. I've been training for what, five weeks? I just feel like he doesn't trust that I can do it."

"Tei, no. That's not it." She said and came to sit with her on the plush rug.

"Then what? That he doesn't trust me?"

"It's more complicated than that." Tei was about to ask but Kiko cut her off. "I can't tell you. He has to tell you. But there are some things you have to understand about his relationship with his element."

Tei waited and Kiko scooted closer, the two of them sitting in their nightgowns an arm's length from each other.

"Did he ever tell you why I live with him?" She asked tentatively. Tei shook her head. "Our father is from the Northern Watertribe, our mother is from the Fire Nation. We got our abilities from our mother, but we look like our father. You noticed that when you first met us." Tei nodded, remembering her accusation with humiliation. Kiko continued. "Our father is not a kind man. He was very abusive to us when we lived with him, to all three of us, Jinru, our mother and myself. He was verbally abusive to us girls… but Jinru got the worst of it. He was physically abused. There is a line between discipline and beating… and our father crossed that line many times with him." Tei shook her head, she couldn't believe her ears.

"Kiko I'm so sorry… I don't know what to say." She said and reached for Kiko's hands. Kiko smiled sadly.

"I'm not looking for you to be sorry, I need you to understand. Jinru is very reserved and very protective. He doesn't want to be in danger or put anyone else in danger. He feels responsible for what happened to us. Like he should have stood up for us sooner. But it's not his fault. It's hard to fight water with fire. But what I want you to understand most is that we both have welcomed you into our home and, even if he won't dare say it, we accept you as our new family. He wants to make you wait until he thinks without a doubt that you are ready so you don't hurt yourself or anyone else. He doesn't lack trust in you or your ability. He is worried most that you will lack control."

Tei was quiet as they held hands, looking down and trying to wrap her head around this horrible tale.

"Do… do you think I lack control?" Tei asked softly and Kiko let go of her hands.

"Watch what I do." She said and held her hands out, producing a perfect orange and red flame in her palm. Tei looked in awe at it, the heat coming off of it so comforting.

"Imagine in the palm of your hand a flicker of life. Imagine it pulling the heat right from your body. Imagine that it's a part of your circulatory system, your heartbeat is it's life, your breathing it's rhythm. Can you see it?"

She nodded.

"Keep that image in mind." Kiko brought the flame closer to her and closer until she slipped the little flame into Tei's palm, like passing a stone. The flame shimmered and flicked to life and withered, becoming smaller and dimmer, but still there.

"Can you feel it?"

"I can feel it. It's my life. It's my energy. It's me. It's part of me." She said with a shaky laugh, unable to believe she was holding a little flame in her hand. Her moment of bliss was cut short.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Tei gasped and her hands trembled, the flame lost. She looked up and Jinru was staring daggers at herself and Kiko. Before she could say anything, Kiko was on her feet and Jinru was right next to her, looking between the two of them, and Misa was on all fours, baring her teeth.

"Stop right there." She said and stepped between Tei and Jinru. "Just take a second and calm-"

"Do you have any idea how much danger you just put her in?" He snarled at Kiko.

"Wha-" Tei said but Kiko cut her off.

"She was doing fine. She was breathing great. She was great. She is ready-"

"That's not for you to determine!"

"Jinru!" She raised her voice and took in a breath. "Calm yourself. Breathe."

"And what of you, Avatar?" He spat at Tei. "Did you beg for her to give you fire?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kiko yelled and that scared Tei more than Jinru yelling or Misa growling at the two of them. "You can make this a sibling rivalry thing all you want, but don't you DARE blame her for something she didn't even ask for!" Kiko hesitated as the words hit him properly. "I didn't even ask her if she wanted it, I just gave it to her." She said softer but there was still a deadly edge to her words. The anger burning in Jinru's eyes bore into Tei's and then into Kiko's, taking a moment to breathe and close his eyes.

"Do not ever, and I mean ever, give her fire again. I am her Firebending Master. I will teach her the proper bending techniques. Not you." He said with a steady voice and opened his eyes, looking down at Tei and back to his sister before walking to the kitchen to get a bottle of water, then back to his bedroom. Kiko dropped to the ground and hung her head. Misa lay back down by the girls. Tei reached out and touched her shoulder.

"Tei, I am so sorry. I just wanted you to experience… I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"Kiko…" She crawled beside her and hugged her. "It's okay. I'm not mad."

"Training is going to be harder for you now. Be prepared."

Tei wasn't sure how that would be true but she nodded and the girls went off to bed, Misa in tow. When her door was closed and her body bare, she flopped down onto the bed and let Misa cuddle up to her back. Tei wondered if she had just let all of her progress with him slip through her fingers. Not even her firebending training, but becoming Jinru's friend, which before the fire incident, had seemed plausible. She gripped the covers and closed her eyes, begging for her mind to shut off.

She wasn't sure when her thinking turned to dreams, but she soon found herself in a beautiful field full of flowers and trees with mountains in the background, almost exactly like when she was pulled to the spirit world. Or was it the same? She felt the breeze flow through her hair, the sun on her skin. No, this place was real. Somewhere it was real. She smiled and gripped the ground with her toes, the plush carpet of grass so warm and tangible. Then it hit her. The smell. She looked around and suddenly fires were burning the fields, the trees, the very mountains were on fire. She was surrounded by flames, the smoke choking her. She heard screams behind her and there was her new family, Jinru, Kiko and Misa, all engulfed in flames. They cried out to her, screamed for Tei to help them. She replied.

"Just bend it! Control the fire! I can't!"

They yelled in pain as the flames turned their clothes to ashes, the smell of burning flesh filling the air, mixing with screams of anguish. Tei was screaming for them, the flames consuming herself before she woke with a start and a gasp, sitting straight up in bed and covered in sweat. Misa was staring at her from the other side of the bed, looking as worried as a sand leopard could look. Tei tried to even her breathing, telling herself it wasn't real no matter how much she felt the heat or the smell was etched into her memory. A loud knock came at her door and she flinched.

"Tei? Get ready." A low voice said from the other side. He didn't wait for her response, walking away from her door. She rubbed her face and tried one last time to shake the dream from her head. Getting ready wasn't a problem. She went through the motions robotically, her head not in the game. Before she left she grabbed the music device and kissed Misa goodbye, walking out her door to the kitchen.

Breakfast was quiet. What was there to say? But that made the time pass slowly. She finished when Jinru did and they left their dishes in the sink, walking to the door. Kiko hung back, leaning against the wall.

"I want to come." Kiko said softly.

"Not today." Jinru said without looking at her. He paused. "Tomorrow. You can come watch her train starting tomorrow." He said and grabbed his keys, leaving the flat without another word. Tei slipped on her shoes and waved her friends goodbye, putting the earbuds in her ears as she rushed behind Jinru, guaranteeing a ride with no talking.

She lost herself in the lyrics, tapping her foot and rocking her head. The music was angry and loud but she felt about as big as a pentapus. She watched and waited for the car to stop, which it did eventually. She kept her music on and followed him around and into the building, then down to their basement gym. He tossed his bag on the ground and she went right to the punching bag, not even asking him what to. He sat in the chair and watched her let loose. She must have listened to the album four times before she finally got the words. She punched with each line.

"Forfeit the game before somebody else takes you out of the frame and puts your name to shame. Cover up your face. You can't run the race. The pace is too fast, you just won't last."

Tei just kept punching the bag until her hands were numb, bending over and resting her hands on her knees. A tap on her shoulder grabbed her attention. She turned and took out one earbud.

"Firebending forms. Breathe with execution. Go with the music." Jinru commanded and she nodded, putting the bud back in. She walked to the middle of the gym and bowed towards Jinru before starting her kata, her movements fluid and her breathing controlled. She knew what she was doing, she just had to prove it. She kicked and punched the air and her breathing followed the blows, it was her body working in complete harmony. Jinru circled her while she did her forms, motioning for her to repeat them when she finished. Again and again he wound his finger in the air for her to do it over. Punch, call out. Retract, inhale. Sidestep, exhale. Turn, inhale. Kick, call out. Repeat the form steps. Breathe. Again.

She must have been running kata all day because finally she collapsed onto the ground, her hands on her knees. She was gasping for breath, dripping with sweat, and exhausted. She did her best time and time again today. She wondered if it would be enough. She ripped out the earbuds and paused the music, the battery half drained anyway, and looked up at Jinru who was approaching her.

"I'm sorry, I'll do it again, just give me a moment." She gasped and he stood right in front of her. He was silent and she knew why. What she had done wasn't good enough.

"I can do better, I promise."

He knelt down and sat in front of her. Their eyes met and he seemed calm, not disappointed or angry in any way. He folded his legs under him and ushered a bottle of water towards her. She didn't ask, just took it and drank until she had to come up for air. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and set it on the ground, looking at him. He was studying her like she was a riddle. She didn't know what to say. Should she ask how she did? Should she just go again? He rested his hands on his knees and she mimicked his posture, folding her legs and crossing them under each other. They were silent as her breathing became steady, easy again. He threw one of his hands into his lap and his eyes found hers again.

"Tell me about your scar."

The question was seemingly random. Her hand came to her face and touched her cheek, just the end of the pink scar that ran down her face. She spent more time trying to think how to ask him where that came from than actually answering the question. He waited. A thousand things came to her mind. Unpleasant retorts. A quick, witty story. A simple answer. Many, many refusals. Eventually she found her voice.

"It's uncomfortable to talk about."

"Okay, how about your dad? You seemed pretty animated about him yesterday." He encouraged and a sad smile fell on her lips. Her hand fell to her locket and she looked down.

"I must seem so stupid to you, talking about him like he's a hero of grand valor. A warrior for anything good and righteous…" She trailed off and her smile faded. "He was my hero."

"Was?" Jinru asked and she nodded.

"He um…" she blinked a few times and inhaled. "He died shortly after this picture of us was taken. I was seventeen."

"Was he in an accident?" Jinru pushed.

"I think I've said enough." She whispered.

They sat in silence and he picked another question.

"Where is your mom?"

Tei's eyes blazed with rage and the air sparked with tension almost instantly. Her eyes ripped from the floor to his.

"Never mention her to me ever again." She growled through clenched teeth.

Jinru's eyes grew wide and he held up his hands.

"I am just trying to find some common ground with you. We all have our scars. Scars are lessons we never forget." He said softly and she calmed down a little, looking away from him. He exhaled and looked down. "Sometimes scars tell people more about us then we want to. Sometimes, it's just too raw to talk about and you just want to forget about the past, but the proof remains."

She looked to him and nodded. It was true. You can't hide a giant pink scar on your face. It says more about you than you are willing to tell.

"I'm sorry. I'm not used to people asking those things about me. And it's even weirder coming from you."

"What does that mean?"

"Well we aren't exactly close. We're not even friends."

"We're… not?" He asked and their eyes met again. She looked at him and she saw a tinge of pain in his mahogany eyes and she instantly felt bad. Where was all this emotion coming from?

"I… at least I didn't think we were. Our relationship has always felt so strictly pupil-master."

He frowned and looked to his hands.

"Sorry, I have a tendency to…"

"Put up walls?"

He nodded and looked back to her. "Tashi must have warned you then?"

"Yeah, and Kiko."

He sighed.

"I didn't mean it to shut you out. You are my kohai, but you can't advance if we can't trust each other. And trust comes with friendship." He paused and looked to her again.

"And I trust you." He said softly. Before she could respond he reached for his black wrappings around his arms, unwinding the cloth on one arm, then the other. When the cloth was in a pile in his lap he held out his arms for Tei to see. She looked down and nothing looked out of the ordinary. Dark skin stretched over muscles, some black hair. She didn't know what she was looking for. Then he turned his arms over, palms up, and she saw why he always covered himself. From his wrist to the middle of his arm the flesh was deep red and raw, like melted skin in swirls and lines. It was grotesque and deformed and Tei covered her mouth to muffle a gasp. It looked so painful, like it was still healing. Suddenly everything made sense. This was a burn. Intense fire had touched his skin and hurt him so badly and changed how he felt about fire altogether, be it his element or not.

"What… how?" She said and let her hand drop from her face.

"I was fighting my father. I had never produced flames so scorching and extreme. I lost control. I destroyed our house, almost hurt my sister and mother, and I couldn't stop the flames in time before they consumed my arms. I didn't even feel it at first, I was so far gone - lost in my rage. Kiko screamed at me to help myself and that's when I noticed. I put out the flames but by then, the damage was done. She rushed me to the hospital. They did what they could."

Tei instinctively reach a hand out and touched one of his arms, the heat coming off the scarred flesh was almost burning. This is how she comforted people, though touch. He didn't recoil but he wanted too, used to words instead of physical contact.

"It's my constant reminder to always be in control of myself. And it's why I've been so hard on you. I don't want you to hurt anyone."

She nodded and took her hand back. She was speechless. There is always more to people than you can see, and it was true with him too. She watched and he turned his arms back and rewrapped them, the black cloth hiding it perfectly.

"Your forms are perfect. Your breathing is excellent. You are a fast learner." He smiled just the slightest and finished with his arms, standing up and offering his hand again. She took it and stood with him.

"Tomorrow, we start firebending." He said and Tei smiled. She wanted to jump up and down and scream and holler but she restrained herself, bowing to him with her fist to her hand.

"I can't wait."