Author's Note: Thanks to all of you lovely reviewers out there. I came up with a better summary for the story, so let me know what you think of it. Hope you enjoy this chapter, please remember to leave a review :)

Chapter 5

They left the school behind them and wandered down the wet streets. Katara clutched her sketchbook to her chest to protect it from the rain. They wound up in a run-down skate-park and sat down in the makeshift stadium seats, out of the rain.

"I've never been on this side of Ba Sing Se before," she commented.

"It's not the friendliest neighbourhood."

"Do you come here often?"

He shrugged. "Now and then. When I'm bored. When I need to clear my head."

"Is this your rain?"

He frowned. "What?"

Katara giggled. "You said you come here when you need to clear your head. I stand in the rain when I need to clear my head."

Zuko nodded slowly. "I see…" Katara looked down at her sketchbook, a little embarrassed, and played with the corner of the plain black cover. "Can I see the picture you were drawing?"

Katara looked up at him, surprised; she'd forgotten she'd told him about that. Opening the sketchbook, she flicked through the book and found the page. "I only just started. There isn't much except for the outline yet. I can only add the rest of the detail when I colour it."

"It looks good."

"Thanks." She watched him turn the pages back towards the front cover of the book. He gave a small laugh at the picture of King Kuei and the soldiers. "That's why Ms Joo Dee gave me a detention."

Zuko shook his head. "What's wrong with it? You're being honest. They are all just puppets on strings. Even King Kuei."

She nodded in agreement. "I guess it's just hard for the ignorant to accept something they don't know."

Zuko turned back another page, and another, and came to rest on the picture of a bald boy in a hospital bed. "Who's this?"

"That's Aang. I was meant to go and see him after school, but I ended up in stupid detention instead."

Zuko frowned. "I think I recognize him. Where do I know him from?"

Katara shuffled uncomfortably. "Um, his parents were police officers. They were working on the Red Army case and related incidents. They were killed a few years back."

Zuko's brow furrowed and his eyes suddenly widened. "Of course… If they're the people I think they are, they came to my house a few times to question my dad. Was his dad's name Gyatso? I think they might have been the ones who found the connection between the Red Army and my dad."

"Yeah. His name was Gyatso," she said. "Your dad had them assassinated," she added hesitantly.

He nodded. "That doesn't surprise me." He closed the sketchbook and gave it back to her. Katara slipped it into her bag and pulled her phone out of her pocket. It was just after five and the cold was beginning to get to her. An unread message from her brother sat in her inbox. Where are you? What's for dinner? It had been sent at 3:45pm, after she'd gone into detention. She sighed loudly. "Do you need to be somewhere?" Zuko asked. She nodded. "Come on. I'll take you back to where you know your way around."

They walked back to the school and walked around the perimeter of the grounds. The rain had let up and the sunlight was breaking through the clouds in some places. Between the tall buildings and carefully planted trees, the walls surrounding the city peeked at them; a constant reminder of the too-structured society keeping them safe from the dangers of the outside world; dangers that his dad was causing, and dangers that her dad was fighting against.

"Where do you need to go?"

"I'll go and visit Aang in the hospital for a little while. Visiting hours end at 8 o'clock, but I'll need to go home and make dinner for Sokka and Gran-Gran before then."

They stepped along the pavement of streets dotted with clothes shops and lunch-menu food getting ready to close for the day, and restaurants and late-night cafes preparing to open for the night.

"Why is Aang in hospital?"

Katara smiled sadly. "He has Leukaemia. It's gotten pretty bad."

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault."

They stopped, standing in front of a quaint café. The bitter scent of coffee and sweet smell of cakes drifted onto the street. "I guess that means you won't come in then."

Katara looked up at the sign pointing into the café. The Jasmine Dragon. She'd heard of it before; a nice place for a cup of coffee or tea. Apparently, home to the best tea in all of Ba Sing Se. She shook her head apologetically. "I really should go. Aang is probably wondering where I am."

He nodded. "That's okay. Maybe… maybe some other time?"

Katara smiled sweetly at him. "Maybe."

A man in his late forties walked out of the shop, humming a small tune to himself as he tied his apron up behind him. "Nephew, why are you so late?" he asked, curious, but not the slightest bit seemingly upset. Then he noticed Katara, standing right next to Zuko. "Oh, and who might this be? Zuko, is this your lady-friend?"

Zuko suddenly turned beet red and rounded grumpily on the man. "Uncle!" He paused, fumbling for his words. "No, she is not my girlfriend," he said, crossing his arms.

His uncle sighed. "If you say so; I was only asking. What is the young lady's name anyway?"

Zuko cleared his throat and composed himself. "This is Katara. We just had an after-school detention together. Katara, this is my uncle, Iroh. He owns the café here."

Iroh smiled. "Call me Uncle! It is a pleasure to meet you." He bowed to her and Katara felt herself turning a brighter shade of red than she thought possible.

"It's nice to meet you too."

"Would you like to come in for a cup of tea? I make the best tea in all of Ba Sing Se," he claimed, though he did not sound arrogant and humbly bowed his head at his own words.

Zuko shook his head. "She can't."

Katara felt guilty as the older man's face fell again. "I'm very sorry, but thank you. Perhaps another time?" She smiled at Iroh and then at Zuko. "I need to go now, or I'll miss out on visiting hours." He nodded. "Um, it was nice talking with you. Thanks for getting my sketchbook back."

He shrugged. "It wasn't a problem." She smiled uncertainly and turned to leave. The smell of Iroh's café became distant as she walked along the street and she bowed her head to the wind. A soft pitter-patter announced the return of the rain and she prepared to run from sheltered place to sheltered place until she reached the hospital, deciding that it was too cold to stand in the rain again. "Hey!" Katara stopped and turned back. Zuko bit his lip and fumbled for words. "I'll see you at school tomorrow." She felt herself blush again, but she couldn't help but smile. She nodded happily and waved goodbye. Then, she stepped out from the covered area of footpath and started to run.

Author's Note: I love Iroh. I'm just sayin', the way he reacts every time Zuko is seen with a girl no matter which fanfiction you read or which episode from the series you watch... Aah, I just had to make Zuko call out to her before she was out of sight. He's so awkward and cute! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please remember to leave a review and let me know what you thought!