Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
oooooo
Permission to release Zuko did not arrive until the next morning after breakfast.
"Finally!" Toph heaved a sigh. "I was beginning to think we would have to break him out."
"Don't say that too loud," Sokka said. "I'm not sure how much they trust us yet."
Katara nodded at his assertion.
"I agree. Even though they know we're with Aang, they're still skeptical," she said.
"That's what makes them good warriors," Zuko's voice said from behind her.
Katara turned and grinned at him.
"It's good to see you out."
"It's good to be out."
Their conversation was halted when a guard came up to their group.
"We are to take you to the main camp today. Will you be ready by noon?" he directed his question at Aang.
Aang darted his eyes around the group for a moment to be sure before assenting.
"Yes. We'll be ready."
oooooo
"You're really hidden in these woods back here," Sokka commented, pulling another snagged branch from his sleeve.
"Yes. We've been careful about our movements and who we trust-"
"We've noticed," Toph mumbled.
"-and the Fire Nation hasn't found us yet, so we must be doing something right," their Earth Kingdom guide explained.
"So, you said that your group has people from all the nations . . . Does that include the Fire Nation?"
Aang's tentative question had Zuko waiting impatiently for the guide's answer.
"Yes," he replied slowly. "We do have people from the Fire Nation here. . . . I won't say it's always easy to trust them, but it seems to be working out all right so far," he said, voice carefully neutral and aware of Zuko.
Zuko tried to pretend that he wasn't offended by the comment. He knew others had been hurt by his nation, but there were many good people in the Fire Nation who did not believe in the war Ozai was continuing to rage . . . likely the same people who had found and joined this group of fighters.
". . . things have run more smoothly in the past few months since General Iroh joined us."
"What?" Zuko had lost track of the conversation until his uncle had been named. Uncle was here? His chest tightened and he barely paid attention to the guide's next words.
"Yes, I know, I was surprised that he would seek us out. And after the Ba Sing Se siege, many of us were skeptical, but he has been a great asset."
The guide faltered a moment when he realized that Zuko had stopped walking. He turned at looked at him for a moment before realization struck him. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"I forgot - I guess you're related to him, then?"
Zuko glared at him.
"Obviously."
Sokka snorted and turned to their guide.
"Just how much do you know about the Fire Nation, anyway?" he asked sarcastically.
"Um . . . Well . . ."
"That was rhetorical," Sokka said, nudging the guide forward.
Zuko took a few uncertain steps to follow them.
"Hey," Katara's hand grasped his upper arm. He hadn't noticed her come over. "It'll be okay," she said.
Zuko took a deep breath and tried not to look as nervous as he felt.
"I hope so."
oooooo
Katara looked around, observing the plethora of makeshift tents and meeting houses scattered around the trees. The trees served as a perfect cover for anyone looking down from above, and just enough sunlight filtered through the tall branches for the camp not to seem dark and gloomy.
A woman came up to their guide and after a brief, hushed conversation with him, addressed Aang.
"Avatar Aang," she said. "The Water Tribe leaders would like to greet you."
Aang nodded and the group led the way, following the woman. Katara tried not to be offended that they were not addressed as well and pushed the thought away.
She wondered who the Water Tribe leaders were going to be. Maybe they had met them before - between living in the Southern Water Tribe and going to the Northern Water Tribe with Sokka and Aang, they knew many of the people who could be representing the Water Tribe in this gathering of soldiers.
Water Tribe blue caught the corner of her eye and she turned toward it with a pleasant smile. What she saw caught her off guard.
"Dad?"
Sokka's head jerked toward Katara and followed her gaze when he heard her gasp. Hakoda stood still, just as surprised as them.
"Dad!" she called.
Katara took a few steps forward, which turned into a few more, and soon she was sprinting toward her father, heart pounding and tears streaming down her face. She fell into him and felt his arms surround her and she felt safe and home. Things she had not felt in a long time.
"Dad," she murmured into his shirt, fighting back more tears. "Dad, you're here, you're here, you're here."
Hakoda placed a kiss on his daughter's head and welcomed his son into the hug with one arm.
"Dad," Sokka choked out, and Katara felt him join their hug.
"I thought maybe . . ." Hakoda began in a hushed tone, "but I wasn't sure you would be with him." He squeezed the siblings in his arms. "You're safe," he whispered to them. "You're both safe."
A moment passed, and Sokka was the first to self-consciously break out of their group hug. Katara pried herself away from her father next, blushing and swiping tears from her cheeks, blinking furiously.
"I think Sweetness could fight Ozai with tear water, don't you think?" Toph drawled.
Sokka, let out a choked laugh. Katara blushed harder. She dried her face one last time with her sleeve and pulled her father forward with her.
"Dad, the loud one is Toph," she said sweetly, beginning the introductions.
Hakoda chuckled hardily.
"I see."
"She is Aang's earthbending teacher," Katara explained. "And, of course, this is Aang."
Hakoda clasped his hands together and gave a slight bow.
"It is an honor to meet you," he said.
Aang nodded, unsure what to do with the formality.
"I wouldn't be here without Katara and Sokka," he said honestly.
Katara, seeing Aang's uncertainty, moved on.
"And this is Zuko; he's been teaching Aang firebending."
Hakoda analyzed Zuko with a wary but accepting eye. He held out his hand, and Katara was surprised by the firm grasp she saw Zuko shake it with. She darted her eyes between them, looking at how they silently sized each other up. She supposed it was a male thing . . . or maybe it was a Water Tribe verses Fire Nation thing. She wasn't sure.
"Prince Zuko," she was surprised to hear her father greet him with a title - she wondered how he knew.
"Chief Hakoda," Zuko answered evenly.
"We were surprised to hear of you accompanying the Avatar."
Zuko looked unfazed.
"I'm sure you were."
"You will have to forgive our delayed release of you yesterday. We had to be more certain," Hakoda said in a voice that sounded like they still weren't certain. "You understand."
Zuko made a somewhat-affirming grunt.
Katara frowned at the tension beginning to form. What was her father getting at? Zuko was on their side; he had proved it - many times.
Sokka took the break in conversation as a cue. She had never been more thankful for her obnoxious, but observant, brother.
"So," he said, throwing an arm around Zuko's shoulders, earning him a glare, "how about some food? I'm starved. Anyone else?"
Hakoda turned his gaze toward his son.
"Of course," he said, smile returning. "Follow me."
The group followed as Hakoda waved them farther into the camp.
oooooo
As happy as he was for the Katara and Sokka's reunion with their father, despite his own . . . cool (he didn't want to call it cold - yet) reception, he was far more anxious about seeing Iroh. Zuko fought down the urge to fidget nervously. He was a prince; he had stood in front of his father's rage; he could handle this . . . whatever this turned out to be.
He followed the man in front of him, the one who was taking him to the Fire Nation side of the encampment. It sounded like this gathering was not as unified as they had advertised. While the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe members mingled some, they still stayed fairly separate from each other. And he had yet to see a member of the Fire Nation. A small part of him wondered if this was a trap.
At least, he wondered until he turned a corner and saw the pale-skinned, pale-eyed, red-clothed, dark-haired stereotype of his people mirrored in the scene before him.
They were here. His people. Willing to help. Willing to fight beside the other nations against their own.
Willing to do what was right.
He stood still for a moment, shocked at what he was seeing and reminding himself that he did not have to run from them . . . it had been so long since he had not been forced to run from the sight of the Fire Nation banner.
"Prince Zuko!"
The shout snapped him out of his reprieve, and Zuko instinctually took on the confidant stance and regal bearing - though slightly toned down, he was, after all, an exiled prince in the woods with a renegade army - he had learned in his youth.
"Prince Zuko?"
His name was repeated by others, some in exclamation, some in question, some in confusion. His movements, after all, had been largely hidden from public knowledge after he left to find the Avatar all those years ago. Much had changed since then.
The man who had led him here looked startled at Zuko's reception and had not moved since arriving into the camp. Zuko ignored the others for a moment and turned to him.
"Please," he said, "lead me to my Uncle."
The man continued on at Zuko's prodding. As they continued farther into the camp, Zuko was met with more calls of his name, curious glances, and respectful bows of the head. Outwardly, he took it all in stride. Inwardly, he was a mess of nervousness.
He had no plan of what to say to Iroh. Every time he thought of something it seemed so . . . inadequate. So useless. So meaningless. What do you say to the man who has always been right but you've rarely treated with respect? What do you say to someone who has tried to help you while watching you make the wrong choices again and again and again . . . And who, because of all those wrong choices, was not there when you made the one right choice.
Uncle probably thought he was still acting like a selfish, spoiled brat. And he was justified in doing so. Never, in all the years they had been traveling together, had Zuko given him any reason to think differently.
He could beg his forgiveness. He could beg for a second chance.
And he believed his Uncle, his wise, caring Uncle would give it to him. But he did not know if he would be dealing with his kind Uncle or the Dragon of the West. Zuko had seen Uncle in battle, his demeanor sharpening and changing . . . and he had seen the last, sad, disappointed look on Iroh's face when they'd parted.
Uncle or General. Who would he meet?