Author's Note: Um, hello again. It's been more than a year (I can hardly believe it) since I last updated this story. I haven't abandoned it and don't plan to, but for a number of reasons, I kept this on the back burner for a while. Kudos to anybody still interested in reading this – you're all wonderful!

I thought I might have been experiencing my first true panic attack. That's not to say that I've never experienced anxiety in the past; growing up with a sister as crazy as Azula, I've had at least my fair share of it. But as I listened to the excited words of my physician, I knew I had never been quite so panicked as I was then.

They suspected me. They were planning to leave. I could lose my only opportunity to regain my honor—and when I was so close!

I knew I needed to do something, and for that I would need to keep a clear head. Focus, I told myself. Think: what would Azula do?

Lie, I supplied automatically. Azula always lies. Tell them…distract them! And make them trust you—make them think you trust them.

Fortunately for me, I was rather good at thinking during a panic attack. "Comb the ship for the intruder, but be cautious and quiet—she is likely armed and dangerous. Let no one speak to our guests save myself, and someone keep an eye on the bison. Make sure no one leaves this ship."

I decided that I ought to talk to Katara. While Aang would have been easier to deceive, I doubted that having his voice would be sufficient to sway the other two—they had been conditioned to mistrust and hate the Fire Nation, and not wrongly so. Since I had been told that Sokka was the conduit of this damning information, I figured Katara would be more likely to have some exploitable doubt.

I found the girl exactly where I expected her, hovering at the door of the infirmary, having no doubt been thrown out by my impatient physician. "How is Aang doing?" I asked politely.

Katara looked at me, and if I had not already known what was wrong, her stare would have given it away. "He's asleep," she answered. "He's been complaining of a headache, but there's not much more we can do for him besides let him rest."

I lowered my voice and shifted closer to her in the doorway, leaning heavily on my crutches. "So I guess you're not one of those waterbenders who can magically heal people, are you?"

"What are you talking about?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Surely you know that some waterbenders are healers?"

She shook her head. "I was the only one in the whole South Pole; either the villagers didn't know or they never told me. How do you know about this?"

"As a child, I suffered an extensive education, and I haven't fully recovered from it yet." That earned a little smile. "Careful, I think it might be catching." She chuckled, but then abruptly snapped back into her careful distrust.

"Did you need something?" she asked.

"Yes, actually," I told her matter-of-factly. "I wanted a word with you."

"About?"

"You and your brother do not trust me."

Katara nodded. "You don't need me to tell you why, do you?"

"No. What I would like to know is what I can do to gain your trust. I do not imagine that you are very comfortable so far away from home on the ship of a perceived enemy—I would expect you to be quite unsettled. And I would be remiss in my hospitality if I did not see to my guests' comfort. So what do I need to do to convince you that I am not your enemy?"

To her credit, she did give it a moment's thought before responding, "There is nothing you can do that would make me trust you."

That was expected. "I understand. I'm sorry the world is the way it is."

She laughed quietly. "You're apologizing for the entire world? I get that you're the Fire Lord's son, but taking responsibility for the entire state of the world may be a bit excessive."

"You think?"

"You're what? Sixteen? Seventeen? This is a century-old war. It's totally and completely your fault, and you should feel bad." I joined her in laughing quietly.

"I wonder what a world with no war would be like," I thought aloud. "I can't really picture it."

"I can. It would look like my family and my village all being together again."

"It can still happen; we'll make it happen," I assured her. "Aang will bring about peace the likes of which no one else alive has ever known. It was some great work of destiny that we managed to find him."

She nodded.

"I'm so worried," I confessed. "Every day we linger on these seas, I feel as though something will come along that will keep the Avatar from meeting with the Fire Lord. If that were to happen, there's no telling if the peace would come about without him."

She frowned.

"I know there's not much risk of that happening, but with so much riding on this, it's hard not to worry. Each day the war drags on, more and more people die. I know people who are fighting in this war; I want them safe at home again. If Aang's meeting the Fire Lord were to be delayed, the chance that they will not make it home increases significantly."

Katara's eyebrows drew together in thought. "I want mine home too."

I nodded sympathetically. "The worry is indescribable."

"Yes," she agreed. "This war needs to end."

I smiled. "Maybe, after the war is over, you would consider trusting me."

"Maybe," she agreed noncommittally.

"I'll see you later then. When Aang wakes up, let him know that I hope he heals quickly, and to let me know if there's anything he needs."

"Sure," she said, but Katara's mind was already elsewhere.

As I walked away, I decided that on the whole, that went very well. Katara missed her father, and she already knew the grief of losing a parent. She would not jeopardize a chance to bring him home from war.

"My prince," one of my men drew my attention as I approached the command station. "We have found our stowaway."

"Was there a conflict?"

"Yes. Three injured, no fatalities. We have kept them away from the infirmary so as not to alert the Avatar's friends to the developments."

"Good. Where is the girl?"

"Inside," he said, pointing back at the door to the command center.

"Excellent," I replied as I walked past him. "Go about your business."

Inside, I found a young woman restrained in a chair, with two armored guards regarding her warily. She had a bruise forming across her left cheekbone, and her hair had been singed a bit. When I entered, she looked up from scowling at the floor and watched me steadily.

"Zuko," she identified me, although her voice held more accusation than question.

I nodded, straightening as best I could between my crutches. "Since you know my name, it's only fair that you tell me yours."

Her face set stubbornly. My eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"What are you doing on my ship?"

Her silence persisted.

"You're not making this any better for yourself by not talking to me," I told her. "I assume by your prowess in battle and your knowledge of my identity that you are an assassin sent to kill me. If that is the case, you will spend the small remainder of your life in agony as my men extract from you the identity of whoever sent you."

She just stared back at me, her stony expression unchanged.

"I don't want to do that to you. Tell me who you are and the reason you are on my ship, and I shall be able to show you mercy."

She frowned. "You lie. You will show me no mercy."

Huh. That hadn't actually been a lie. "Fine," I snapped. "You bring this upon yourself. Let me know if you change your mind about having a civil conversation."

I beckoned one of the guards outside. "Escort her to her cell, and make sure there are at least two sets of eyes on her at all times. Keep her restraints on. Don't harm her, but feel free to frighten her."

"Yes, Your Highness."

I hobbled away, looking for my uncle. I found him in our shared chambers, sitting beside the fire and reading a long scroll.

"Prince Zuko," he greeted me, setting his reading aside. "Did you know that in the twenty-second year of the reign of Fire Lord Sozin—"

"Sorry, Uncle, I'm not interested. Also, we have a few problems."

"What troubles you, my nephew?"

"A stowaway told the Water Tribe boy about my banishment, and now they are suspicious. We captured the stowaway, but she won't tell us anything."

Uncle frowned. "We have only one day more before we reach the capital, although you told them that we have a few more yet. The Avatar is injured; I doubt they will try to leave tonight."

"I've assigned people to watch the bison, so they will not be able to sneak away. Still, I don't want them suspicious. It will be much easier to hand them over if they do not resist."

Uncle's frown deepened. "Do not let yourself be troubled too much; I will speak to this stowaway. Handling the Avatar and his friends is your role, Prince Zuko."

"Thank you, Uncle."

"Supper will be in a little more than an hour. Perhaps it would be fitting to see that preparations are made."

"I will. And Uncle?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Thank you—for everything. For staying with me these last few years. We'll be home tomorrow, so—" Uncle squished me in a hug.

"Prince Zuko," he said quietly, stepping away. "I would have gone with you around the world a hundred times. I am glad to see you so happy to return home."

An hour later, we were all seated at table: a slightly shaky Avatar, two suspicious Water Tribe teenagers, a retired general, and an anxious banished prince. The sea prunes were terrible, but the conversation was alright.

"I invented it back before I got my arrow," Aang was saying. "Basically, you make a big ball of air and really quickly hop up on it. You can ride around on it for about half a minute. It's really fun, and we would play a bunch of games on air scooters."

"That sounds so cool!" Katara was enthusing. "Once you feel better, you have to show us!"

Just one day - one more night and one more dawn, I was thinking. Then I will have my honor back and I won't need to worry about these people anymore.