It's been awhile since my last chapter hasn't it? I hope you all enjoy this one! Don't forget to leave a review!

"Where are you going?"

Iroh was halfway out the front door when Zuko's voice stopped him. Smiling pleasantly the older man turned towards his nephew and replied, somewhat innocently, "I'm going out for a walk, it's a beautiful day outside."

Zuko, standing at the entrance to their bedroom, shook his head in disbelief. "You're not fooling anyone Uncle, you're going to see if you can find Mei Lin's house. Anyways," The young man motioned to the window, "It's dark and cloudy outside and it's starting to rain. It's not even close to being a beautiful day."

Iroh smiled serenely and shook his head slightly with amusement. "Oh Zuko, it is said, 'Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as ba-!" The rest of what he was saying was drowned out in several loud claps of thunder.

"No one is worth getting killed in a thunder storm...if you wish to endanger yourself like this then so be it Uncle." Zuko shook his head in disappointment, turned and reentered the bedroom leaving his Uncle standing sheepishly by the front door.

Mei Lin looked up worriedly at the sky as the sound of thunder filled her ears. She tightened her grip on the handle of the broom she was using to clean the pathways of the Ba Sing Se Zoo. Originally it had been located inside a cramped section of the city. However according Kenji, the zoo keeper, the Avatar himself had come and using his abilities built this new zoo. Yeah right. As if the Avatar, the one who was going to save them, would take time from his important duties to build a zoo.

A small chuckle slipped from her mouth as Mei quickly finished sweeping. Whatever the origins of this place, with the amount of people who came to visit it was necessary to give each pathway a thorough sweeping everyday. Other duties included disposing of trash and going into the closures to remove objects thrown in by mischievous visitors. It was hard work and going into the Elephant Mandril enclosure terrified her but Mei Lin was thankful she had even found this job. As an added bonus she had found a small one room apartment which, for 3 copper pieces a day, was not bad.

"Mei Lin!"

Startled, Mei involuntarily dropped the broom and turned to see Kenji racing over to her. A few moments later he was beside her breathing heavily. "I didn't mean to startle you.". Kenji paused to take a few deep breathes. " Mei Lin, have you not seen the skies? What are you doing here? You should be at home!"

Mei smiled and bent over to pick up the broom. "I didn't notice the change in weather until a few moments ago...I suppose I could come early tomorrow before you open and complete anything that isn't done."

Feeling relieved Kenji smiled. "Good, it looks like it's gonna be a nasty one and I'd hate for you to get hurt. Ah, but before you go may I ask you a favor?"

"Of course! What can I do for you?" Mei placed the broom back where it went and stared curiously at her employer.

"Well you mentioned that you're an earth bender...can you make some over hangs in the Rabaroo and Elephant Mandril enclosures? The Rabaroo just had her litter and I'd hate to see them get wet...and you know how the Elephant Mandril gets."

Mei paled at the thought of entering the Elephant Mandril's enclosure but she nodded and smiled. "Of course. It shouldn't take more than a few moments."

Fat drops of rain began to fall and lightening split the sky as they made their way towards the where the Rabaroo was. The animal was chattering softly to the babies in its pouch who seemed to be scared. Mei Lin lifted her hands and slid her feet apart. Suddenly, a slab of rock come up beneath her and the older woman moved her hands causing the slab to slide down into the enclosure with her. The Rabaroo eyed her with alarm but Mei spoke softly to her as she deftly created an overhang of rock that was long and wide enough to keep the Rabaroo and her young dry.

Using the slab of rock to exit the enclosure Mei shivered slightly as the rain came down harder. She and Kenji quickly walked down to where the Elephant Mandril was. When they arrived the animal was moving around the enclosure in an agitated manor letting out low grunts. With a quick glance at her employer Mei took in a deep breath and slid down into the enclosure. Nervousness rose up with in her. The Elephant Mandril swiveled around to face her and growled; irritated by the rain and the fact that someone was inside his territory.

Speaking in low soothing tones Mei Lin spread her legs and punched her arms out. She raised them slightly and slowly dragged her fists back towards her body. Just above the Elephant Mandril a large slab of rock pushed out of the ground. Immediately the animal was covered and Mei Lin breathed a sigh of relief. She turned and pulled out another roc to raise her up. However, what she or Kenji weren't expecting was the roar of the Elephant Mandril. In surprise Mei Lin turned to see the animal racing towards her, his lips curled back in a snarl.

Mei Lin threw herself to the side and landed against the floor of the enclosure with a thud as the giant animal smashed into where she had been standing. Kenji let out a shout and the older woman forced herself back up to her feet and began running. Mei Lin may have been old but she wasn't about to let her old bones be the cause of her death! Racing around the enclosure Mei used her earth bending to create a narrow walkway that led up and out of the enclosure. The elephant mandril attempted to follow her but was too bulky and only succeeded in breaking the walkway and falling over.

"Mei Lin!" Kenji rushed forward and helped the woman scramble over the edge. Gasping for air Mei Lin waved an arm and got rid of the rest of the walkway. Allowing Kenji to pull her up to her feet Mei said, looking slightly dazed, "I think I'll go home now Kenji."

Kenji wrung his hands together and said, "Mei Lin, I'm terribly sorry! If I had known that he would attack you like that I would have never asked for you to go in there."

Mei Lin sighed wearily feeling the effects of her race away from the elephant mandril. She reached out and patted Kenji's arm. "Don't worry about it Kenji. I-I'll see you tomorrow."

It took Mei Lin an extra ten minutes to get to her home. It was raining fiercely, limiting her vision and hearing. And after her earlier tumble Mei's left side was aching fiercely, causing her to limp . As she neared the area where her home was the old woman sped up, eager to be out of the rain and inside with a hot cup of tea. Granted it wouldn't be as good as Mushi's tea but at this moment anything would taste better than rainwater.

Caught up in her thoughts of tea Mei Lin didn't notice the large dark shadow detach its self from inside a door way and head in her direction. Mei reached her building and tried not to groan at the thought of the stairs she would have to climb to reach her apartment. Just put one foot in front of the other...

She was halfway through the doorway when a large hand clamped onto her arm. Mei Lin let out a surprised gasp and fell forward. Instantly the hand gripping her arm tightened and pulled her back with a soft jerk. Mei fell back against someone and with wide eyes turned slightly. Her mouth fell open.

"Mushi! What one earth are you doing here? You frightened the daylights out of me!"

Mushi gave her an embarrassed grin and released her. He said apologetically, "Forgive me Mei Lin, I tried calling your name but the rain must have muffled my voice." Mushi's normally cheerful face was now lined with concern and he glanced around the dimly lit interior of the apartment building and then at her.

"My nephew informed me that you came by a few days ago..." Mushi's voice trailed off his eyes seeming to drink in Mei Lin and her bedraggled appearance. Mei's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She could only imagine how she looked after her interlude with the elephant mandril and her walk in the rain. It was a wonder that Mushi didn't go running in the other direction.

Rubbing her left arm Mei Lin replied softly, "I did. I was...sad to have missed you." Her cheeks turned pink and she paused, a soft smiling covering her face. "It's nice to see you again Mushi, would you like to come in for some tea?"

Mushi's face instantly spread in a big smile. "Tea sounds wonderful."

Five minutes later Mei Lin and Mushi stood in the entrance of her apartment. It was slightly cramped but Mei Lin was thankful to finally be in the house. With a sigh of relief she stepped inside and motioned to a small table with some pillows around it. "Please, have a seat. I will start the tea and then go dry off."

Mushi shook his head. "No, you must go and dry yourself at once. I am more than capable of getting the tea started."

Mei smiled gratefully and told him where to find everything. Going to a corner, where there was a trunk, Mei Lin removed fresh clothing and grabbed a towel. Because of the small size of the apartment rooms there was a public bathroom located on the bottom floor. Limping, Mei left the room. It took awhile to get down the stairs. Thankfully no one was in the washroom and once she stripped Mei hissed at the sight of her left side. A large purplish bruise stretched from her hip up to ribs, several smaller bruises covered her arm and leg. She shook her head and began to vigorously rub the towel over her. But despite the pain Mei felt lighthearted. She hadn't expected Mushi to find her but he had and now she would be able to spend an enjoyable evening with a friend.

In the 15 minutes that it took for Mei to return Iroh pulled together a small service of tea. He was devastated that a beautiful and caring lady such as Mei had to return to this place and live in squalor. He chuckled softly to himself. Perhaps squalor was a bit exaggerated. It certainly wasn't the Fire Nation Palace but Mei had done the best that she could with her limited space. Iroh silently set some tea cups he had found on the table absently. The place she lived in wasn't what was bothering him. Why had she come home in the rain and covered in dirt?

It had been a stroke of luck that he had found her. Iroh had been wandering around and had finally paused in a door way nearly convinced that Zuko was correct and that searching for Mei in such weather wasn't the best of his ideas. Then, just as he was admitting defeat Mei had appeared limping through the darkness. Iroh scowled down at the tea pot. He had almost forgotten she had been limping. He wondered what sort of work she had gotten that would cause such a thing and the scowl deepened. Lifting the now hot tea pot off of the small stove Iroh brought it over to the table. As soon as Mei returned he would ask her what had happened and tell her, no insist, that she give it up Perhaps he would be overstepping his boundaries but Iroh didn't care.

Futher speculation was put on hold when the door of the apartment was opened. Mei stepped through looking weary but her face immediately brightened when her eyes touched him. Iroh smiled at her suddenly feeling hot. She was dressed simply with a beige tunic and wide green pants. Her dark hair was still damp and settled over her shoulder in a braid. Simple or not she looked lovely. Iroh stood up, scowling inwardly at the fact that his heart rate had actually sped up. Even more so when Mei smiled back at him and limped over to the table. She said, almost shyly, "You didn't have to stand up Mushi."

Iroh waited until she was seated before he responded lightly, "Not stand when a beautiful woman walks into the room? You might as well as ask me not to drink tea." He paused to sit down and finished quickly, "Please don't ask me to."

Mei suppressed a laugh and reached for the tea pot wincing a little bit. "You have nothing to worry about Mushi, I would never ask you to do such a thing." She was pulling the pot over to her when Mushi placed a hand over hers. Mei looked at him in surprise and was bewildered to see the stern expression on his face.

"Mushi, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" Mei released the tea pot but didn't move her hand out from under his.

Mushi sighed deeply before responding, the uncharacteristic frown still on his face. "You're hurt Mei. What happened? Did someone lay their hands upon you?" His hand tightened over hers and Mei Lin could feel her entire face heat up. She hadn't thought about explaining to Mushi why she was injured and since he didn't know she was working at the zoo it was only natural for him to assume something else. A warm, buttery feeling spread through out her body. Mushi's concern was touching.

Mei Lin tried not to wince as she reached out with her left hand and covered Mushi's. She gave it a reassuring squeeze before launching into a detailed explanation as to why she was hurt. If she was hoping for Mushi to be relieved she was sorely disappointed. If anything the frown on his face turned into a scowl and when Mei finished recounting to her tale Mushi's eyes snapped angrily as he said, "A job like that is no place for you! It is much too dangerous and perhaps next time you will not be so lucky! Mei Lin..." He paused to lean forward and said ernestly, "You cannot think to spend the rest of your days working there!"

The older woman looked down and held in an angry retort. Mushi was speaking harshly as if she had many other options and had chosen to live here and work at the zoo carelessly. But she also knew he said it out of genuine concern and for that reason alone Mei forced herself to respond softly, "Mushi, there is not much work for an old woman such as myself. I'm thankful to have found the work even if it is a bit...taxing."

Mushi scoffed at this last statement. "You are hardly an old woman. There is other work you can do that is more befitting a woman of your standing."

Genuine concern or not Mei Lin was beginning to feel annoyed. Pulling her hands away from his, Mei leaned back and said stiffly, "And I suppose you know where I can find this...suitable work?"

Mushi lifted his tea cup to his lips and said, "Of course I know." He took a sip of his tea and instantly spit it out. Mei had just been following his lead but stopped the cup short of her lips.

She lowered the tea cup and demanded, "What's wrong? Does it taste bad?"

With a look of sincere grief on his face Mushi said sadly, "The tea has gone cold. It is hardly the right temperature for enjoyment."

A smile twitched the corner of Mei Lin's mouth and she brought the tea back up to her mouth and took a sip. She said lightly, "I don't know, this doesn't seem very cold." It was still considerably warm and she was pleased to note that he had used the green tea. She took another sip enjoying the rich flavors and the look of horror on Mushi's face. Finally Mei set the cup down with chuckle and said, "Relax Mushi, tea does not have to be scalding in order to drink it."

"There are many things that lead to the enjoyment of tea besides the temperature of the water Mei Lin." Mushi's words were matter of fact and he reached forward and plucked the tea cup from Mei's hands. He spun the cup around gently saying, "Part of the joy of drinking tea comes from the beauty of the cup its self." The cup was on the table and Mei's hands were suddenly being clasped tightly in Mushi's. He continued earnestly, "You have a gift for creating beautiful things. It would be a mistake to let it all go to waste."

Mei looked down. "That's easier said than done Mushi, I've already tried to have a shop...It didn't work out."

A smile spread across Mushi's face and he began to speak in soft, convincing tones. Mei's mouth fell open as the older man outlined a plan to her. It sounded simple enough but...would it work? Any doubts Mei had fell away as she took in Mushi's sincere and eager expression.

Giving his hands a gently squeeze Mei said honestly, "You're a crazy old man Mushi but I think this plan of yours just might work." She pulled her hands from his and stood up. "Now, let's reheat this water so you can drink your tea."

"YOU DID WHAT?"

Zuko's thoroughly outraged voice filled the room he and his uncle were in.

Calmly sipping his tea Iroh replied in an even tone, "I believe you heard me the first time Prince Zuko but since you asked so emphatically I shall repeat myself. I have invited Mei to sell her wares in the tea shop. Customers are constantly exclaiming over the tea sets in the shop and some have expressed their wish to own one for themselves. It would be beneficial for all of us."

"For all of us? I think the only one "benefiting" from this situation is you! You didn't even ask for my opinion!" A familiar scowl covered the young prince's face.

Looking crestfallen Iroh said sadly, "You wouldn't stop an old man from experiencing the joy of helping a friend would you?"

The scowl on Zuko's face deepened and he replied grudgingly, "Very well Uncle, do whatever you want but I'm warning you now I'm not going to be responsible for cleaning up after you when this blows up!" He stood up and headed towards his room with a grumble. "Good night!"

A serene smile settled itself on Iroh's face. He lifted his cup up to his mouth feeling pleased. Things were coming along very nicely here in Ba Sing Se.

Woot! That's the end of chapter five! I was a participant in Nanowrimo this year-and a winner!- which is why it took awhile to get this chapter posted. I hope that it wasn't disappointing! Please leave a review and see you next chapter!