Thanks for all the lovely reviews on the first Chapter! It took awhile to decide where to end this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Zuko walked into the apartment he and his uncle lived in and nearly fainted. Seated in the center of the room was his uncle and a woman. A woman. In horror he watched as the woman sipped from her tea cup and laughed at something his Uncle said. Zuko rubbed a hand across his eyes. Was it him or were they being surrounded by an aura of pink happiness?

Mei Lin drank the tea and was happy that she had agreed to Mushi's impromptu invitation. She had nearly turned around when she realized he was leading her to a private residence and not a tea shop like she had thought. But there was something calming about Mushi and Mei had decided to follow him. Now, an hour later, she sat in front of him drinking jasmine tea he had prepared himself. Without a doubt this was the best tea she had ever had the honor of drinking. Setting the cup down she smiled at Mushi. "Thank you for bringing me here Mushi, the tea is wonderful."

Mushi smiled graciously at her and poured more tea for her. "You flatter me. It is an honor for me to have such a beautiful woman in my home."

Mei laughed and drank some more tea, her cheeks flooding with color. She had quickly discovered that Mushi was an avid complimenter. It was strange to be called beautiful. She was 56, many years past her prime. Once, long ago, Mei had thick black hair and smooth skin, tanned from the sun and her body had been toned from working on her family's farm. Now...Her hair was streaked with grey and her face was lined with age. Mei was pulled from her thoughts by Mushi's voice.

"Ah, Lee! Welcome home. Come here and great our guest!"

Iroh smiled innocently at his nephew and motioned for him to take a seat beside him and Mei. Zuko moved stiffly over to them and bowed slightly to Mei. Iroh was pleased when she smiled gently at his nephew and didn't gawk at his scar or stare at him in pity. Pouring Zuko a cup of tea Iroh said, "Lee this is Mei Lin, she is the owner of the that wonderful tableware shop."

Zuko nodded stiffly to Mei. When she closed her eyes to savor her tea the young man turned and glared daggers at his Uncle. Iroh raised an eyebrow in return and was about to say one of his many proverbs when Mei cleared her throat. Both men looked at her. She was staring at them with guarded curiosity. With a tiny smile she said softly, "I thank you for your hospitality, but I must be going now. I have many things to do before tomorrow." She stood and headed towards the door.

Iroh stood also. "Lee, please clean this up. I shall walk our guest home."

Zuko clenched his fist and replied tightly, "Yes Uncle..."

"Mushi...you don't have to do this. My home is very close."

"Nonsense!" Iroh paused to smile at Mei. "It is after dark and it is better to be safe than sorry."

He moved in front of her and opened the door. As they slipped out of the house Iroh turned to glance back at his irate nephew and winked.

He winked. He had the audacity to wink! Zuko fought to control his anger as he began to put the tea set away. How could his Uncle jeopardize everything they'd worked for like this? At that moment an image of Jin came to Zuko's mind. Everything about her had drawn him in. He flushed remembering their kiss. It had been brief, but no so brief that Zuko hadn't been able to taste how s...No! What was he thinking? Zuko scowled and willed Jin's face from his thoughts; it was too dangerous to get close to women. There was something about them that dulled the senses and when you realized the truth it was too late to do anything about it. No...He could not allow his Uncle to embark on such a path and put them both in danger.

Zuko finished putting everything away and seated himself in the center of the room. He breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled. Hopefully his Uncle would be back soon and they would have a serious discussion.

It took Mei only 2 hours to pack up the contents of her house and the shop. Tomorrow she would venture down into the lower ring and look around for a suitable living place. Before she left she would go visit Mushi's new tea shop The Jasmine Dragon. Mei blushed. It was improper for her to be accepting invitations from men she barely knew but somehow Mushi had made her feel as though they had been friends for more than just a few hours. Mei's thoughts drifted towards Mushi's nephew, Lee. She could tell he hadn't been very happy about her being there in his home. And his scar...Such a terrible scar for someone so young. Mei sighed. The Firenation showed mercy to no one. After a moment she shook her head and stood. Walking over to where she had her night things Mei began to remove her tunic. She would go to sleep early; tomorrow would be a long day.

Iroh hummed a tune to himself as he walked back from Mei Lin's home. She was a delightful and talented woman. Such shame that she was going to be moving tomorrow. Iroh rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Perhaps she could work for him in the tea shop. After all, he and Zuko couldn't do everything alone. He reached the apartment and slipped inside quietly. The lights were out which meant Zuko was already asleep. Iroh removed his shoes and smiled sadly. Prince Zuko worked hard, he deserved to rest. And now with the shop opening they would be able to afford to live more comfortably. It would not be a Firenation palace with servants but neither would his precious nephew want for anything.

Slowly the old man crept towards the bedroom. He would change and join his nephew in sleep. Tomorrow would be a lo-

"Going to sleep so soon Uncle?"

Iroh jumped at the sound of his nephew's voice. Turning the older man realized his nephew was seated in the center of the room.

"Zuko! Why are you sitting there in the darkness?" Iroh walked over to his nephew and sat beside him.

Zuko reached over and lighted one of the lamps. "I didn't want to waste the gas. Uncle...we need to talk."

Iroh smiled. "Shall I put on some tea?"

For a few minutes Zuko merely stared at him in silence. Finally the young man said flatly, "No Uncle, this will only take a few minutes."

"Very well, what is it you wish to speak about nephew?" Iroh settled back and hoped that this wouldn't take too long. He was ready to sleep.

Zuko folded his arms across his chest and replied sternly, "Uncle, I don't think you're being very wise about this...this...girl you've been seeing."

"Girl...? What gi...Zuko! Mei is...Mei Lin is nothing more than a neighbor."

"Neighbor! I haven't seen you inviting that annoying old man who lives on the other side of us for tea!"

"Zuko, you do not know what you are saying. Sometimes the unnoti-!"

"I DON'T want to hear another one of your proverbs Uncle!" Zuko lowered his voice before continuing, "This isn't right Uncle. We have to be careful, we may be pretending everything is alright but it's not! You're still a Firenation General and...and I'm still a Firenation Prince! We have bounties on our heads! She could find out and turn us in!"

Iroh crossed his arms. "Not every female is like Azula, Prince Zuko."

Beginning to feel desperate Zuko leapt to his feet and glared down at his Uncle. "Enough Uncle! I FORBID you to see this woman again! It's much too dangerous!"

Iroh didn't reply. Zuko took a deep breath and said with forced calmness. "Now I think its time we head for bed...It'll be a long day tomorrow." He waited for his Uncle to say something and when he remained silent the young man stomped off to the bedroom.

For a few moments Iroh could only sit in a shocked silence. His beloved nephew had just forbidden him to see a woman. Never in a million years had Iroh thought such a thing possible. A small chuckle escaped and soon he was laughing boisterously. At least now he knew his nephew had an imagination. Iroh stood and headed to the bedroom. He needed his rest for the next day.

The next morning Mei Lin went down to speak to Yi Min. Once she had his permission to leave her things in the house for a few hours Mei set out in the direction of The Jasmine Dragon. Mushi had told her they would be open early and a cup of tea would help fortify her what lay ahead. The shop was easy to find. It was located on the west end of the street and Mei was surprised at how magnificent it looked.

People walked in and out, some of them stopping to chat by the fountain out front. Feeling hesitant Mei slowly walked up the steps and past the fountain. She stopped at the entrance and peeked in. She immediately spotted Lee; he was nearby serving tea to a couple. A few other waiters were spread out, taking and serving orders. The tables were all decorated with simple center pieces and clothes of silk hung down the wall.

"Mei! You managed to come!"

At the sound of Mushi's voice, Mei was pulled from her observations and she smiled as he walked over to her. He was dressed in green robes and his body seemed to vibrate with excitement.

Mei bowed slightly to him. "Good morning Mushi. I thought it would be a good idea to come in the morning." She paused to glance around admiringly. "Everything looks wonderful!"

Mushi smiled proudly. "Thank you Mei, you are too kind. Come! You will sit at the best table in here."

Mei followed him and chuckled. "You already have a best table?" Mushi led her to a table near one of the windows and once she was seated he replied, "The moment you sat down it became the best. I'll return in a moment!" He walked off towards the back of the tea shop and Mei could feel her face heat up. That shameless old man! He should know better than flatter people so freely. She shook her head and reached out to touch the flower in the center piece as she waited for him to return.

Zuko watched the exchange from where he stood and shook his head. His Uncle was a fool for ignoring his warnings. With a sigh he turned around and began to clear a nearby table. He was just finishing when he felt someone tap his back. A few months ago Zuko would have whirled around and slammed a flaming fist into the face of whoever had touched him. Now he took a deep calming breath and turned. "Can I hel..." His voice faded into silence and he nearly dropped the tray in surprise.

"...Jin..?"

Le gasp! What's Jin doing there? Feel free to review and leave a guess!