A new chapter, and so quickly after the other…well, I won't waste time…here you go!

Chapter One: The Truth in the Tiger's Eyes

Zuko walked into the tiny village, his face half-hidden by the hood of his parka. The village was very small--practically non-existent--with only five ice huts. Not that he was surprised. It had to be small to have stayed hidden so long, not that the four, nearly impassable ice walls surrounding it had been a treat. Still, no matter what he had been expecting, Zuko hadn't expected it to be so quiet. But, then again, there were only five women living there.

Suddenly, the quiet, cold air was split by childish laughter, followed by a small blue figure dashing into the village, chasing what looked like a flying lemur. The figure stopped before Zuko, revealing a dark-skinned little girl.

After looking around, Zuko crouched down before her, only mildly surprised by her molten-gold eyes, a color distinctly unusual among the Water Tribes. He needed to speak to an adult. And, apparently, no one was willing to come out and greet him.

"Can you take me to your mother?" he asked her gently.

The little girl smiled brightly up at him and then took hold of his hand, dragging him along behind her, towards the middle hut. She let go of his hand when they reached the entrance and then disappeared inside, silently bidding him to follow. After a moment's hesitation, Zuko entered the hut.

When his eyes adjusted to the dark, Zuko saw the little girl run up to a woman sitting in the midst of what looked like beadwork, her back to him. She wore the standard Water Tribe blue, her dark hair braided and reaching down to her waist. Another child lay on a mat on the floor, his dark eyelashes rushing his pale cheeks.

The woman laughed as the little girl tugged impatiently on her sleeve. "What is it, Mitsuko?" she asked gently.

Zuko froze at the sound of the familiar voice. His heat began to beat with excitement. But then, as she scooped the child up, rage began to boil deep in the pit of his stomach. Though he had been faithful to her, it appeared that she had not been as such to him.

Who? he wanted to shout, to scream. Who had she loved enough to begin a family with? And why had she kept herself hidden? Why? He wanted to run up and shake her, demand the reason for why she hadn't loved him enough. The world around him narrowed in his anger and heat began to roll off of him in waves. How dare she? How dare she do this to him!

Black rage filled him, opening the door to the four years without her, to the pain he had felt in her absence. He wanted to scream. Had he not been worthy enough? Or had her feelings been too shallow?

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Katara felt the heat just as she was turning and the truth hit her a moment before her eyes took in the sight of her old love. She gasped at the anger and hatred burning in his beloved golden eyes and took a step back, clutching Mitsuko closer to her body. And then she saw the realization begin to creep onto his face.

"Zuko…"

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Zuko took an angry step forward, trying not to feel hurt when she backed away, glancing at the boy on the mat. She pulled the girl closer to her. And that's when he froze, his eyes going from the girl to Katara. His heart beat loudly in his chest as he carefully examined the hut. There was nothing to indicate that a man lived, or had ever lived, there. "And her daughter's eyes are gold. Unusual color for a daughter of the Water Tribe."

He could barely breathe, could hardly dare to hope, to believe.

This time when she moved, Katara took a step closer. "Zuko…"

Confusion flickered across his face and the air became hotter. Water began to trickle down the walls, the ice melting. "Katara?"

A moan escaped the boy on the bed. Katara tore her wide eyes from Zuko, moving to her son's side. She lowered Mitsuko to the ground and then gently pulled the covers up over the sleeping child.

Zuko's heart warmed at the sight of such a loving, motherly gesture. He moved closer. "Is he all right?" he asked, nodding to the boy.

Katara nodded stiffly. "Sunil rises with the moon," she explained, casting an adoring glance towards her son. "And Mitsuko loves the sun." A small laugh escaped her. "It's quite a challenge looking after them."

"Why is he here?" she silently cried. "What made him look for me…? How did he find me?" Katara sighed sadly and absently brushed back Sunil's black hair. "We parted ways years ago…Why did he come back now?"

"Maybe…" Katara scowled and swiftly closed the door on that thought. Four years before, when she had found out she was pregnant, she went to see him, but he had only glanced at her coldly before refusing to even speak to her, to ask how she was. It was then that she had realized he never loved her. Not really.

Unable to bear the pain of hearing of the new Fire Lord's kindness and wisdom wherever she went, Katara had entered into seclusion, choosing this spot because of its high ice walls. But then her brother had found her. And found exactly why she had run so quickly.

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"I'm so sorry, Sokka," she whispered heartbrokenly. "I wanted to tell you but I…"

Sokka said nothing, merely wrapped his arms around his sister. Katara, it's fine." He smiled into her hair as she sniffed loudly. "And I promise I won't do anything drastic."

The remark elicited a small laugh from Katara but then she looked up swiftly, her blue eyes filled with fear. "Please, don't tell him. Don't tell him anything."

Sokka pulled back, confused. "But…"

Katara shook her head. "Please. Promise me, Sokka."

The young man was silent a moment, a frown on his face. "At least let me send someone to take care of you," he whispered. A ghost of a smile flickered over his troubled face. "And my nephew."

"Niece," Katara retorted automatically. "It's going to be a girl." Then she sighed. "Fine. But not too many people. Please, Sokka. I don't want anyone to know."

"What about Aang?"

Katara looked up at him wide-eyes. "You can tell him, but please don't tell him where I am. I don't want him to have to lie for me."

"And Toph?"

Katara smiled affectionately at the mention of the blind earth bender. "You can tell her; I know her enough to know she wouldn't tell a soul."

"She might tell Aang."

"Not if you make her promise, Sokka."

The two talked for a long while, sitting in Katara's ice hut. And then Sokka glanced at her. "Katara…" She lifted her head. "Why don't you want him to know?"

Katara looked down at her hands, tears glittering in her sapphire eyes. "He's the Fire Lord now," she whispered. "He has no time for love."

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"Katara, I…"

Zuko was interrupted as a woman rushed into the hut. "Katara, the…" she trailed off as she spotted Zuko. "Oh. Never mind."

Katara frowned and then motioned for the woman to sit down. "Please, Ren. What is it?"

The woman, Ren, glanced at Zuko, taking in his scar and golden eyes, and then graciously sank onto a cushion. Katara followed. Mitsuko crawled into her mother's lap and trained her molten eyes on Ren.

"Well," Ren huffed out, pushing her hood from her head, "there seems to be a Fire Nation envoy of some kind, requesting entrance." She smiled. "But I see that you already know."

Katara frowned again and glanced at Zuko. "No, I didn't."

Ren's face brightened a little at the thought that Katara hadn't already heard the news. "Oh. Well, they're requesting that you go and speak with their ambassador."

Katara stared at the woman a moment and then gently guided her daughter from her lap. "Then I shouldn't keep them waiting," she said finally. Katara turned to Zuko, her brilliant eyes averted, and bowed. "Excuse me."

When her mother left, Mitsuko climbed into Ren's lap, her golden eyes wide as she stared at Zuko. As Ren began to braid her hair, however, Mitsuko closed her eyes and snuggled closer, reminding Zuko of a little kitten.

"How old are they?" Zuko asked when the silence became unbearable.

Ren smiled. "Nearly four," she answered. "They're absolutely adorable, though the identity of their father has been a complete mystery." Until now. The woman cocked her head. "So why is the Fire Lord so interested in a recluse of the Water Tribe?"

Zuko shifted uncomfortably. "Katara and I were…friends during the war," he admitted. "But when the war was over, we went our separate ways." He sighed and looked away. "We found we couldn't turn our backs on our people."

"And yet Katara has hidden herself away from the very people she longs to help," Ren murmured. She shook her head as Zuko turned back to her. "When her brother sent my friends and I here, we didn't know what was happening. All we knew was that we were coming to help someone in need. Imagine our surprise when we found Katara, the hero of the Water Tribes, all alone in this valley of ice. I can't imagine what she must have been going through, how alone she must have felt."

Zuko said nothing, merely turned his eyes back on the now sleeping girl in Ren's arms. He sighed. He and Katara needed to speak very soon. He just hoped she didn't run away again. He didn't know if he could take it.

How was it? Hmm…there will be a number of flashbacks scattered throughout this fic, I think. Oh, and how about the children? What do you think? Please, please review!

P.S. I didn't realize this until my friend pointed it out, but the name Mitsuko is like Zuko…I just thought it was odd that I didn't notice before…