A/N: I don't own ATLA, but I do own this story. It has been brought to my attention that the chapters are named wrong; I have two chapter fours, so it throws things off. Just look at the name instead of the chapter number, okay? I hope this will satisfy you, Kadena Panther, my biggest fan!

Chapter 8: Amicable Familiarity

I leaned onto the small child's back, searching the dark courtyard for Zuko. I counted the seconds he'd been gone, then the minutes. When it'd been a good seven, I began to panic, so you could empathize how I'd nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt a plump hand on my shoulder. I whipped my head around and quickly relaxed as I began to recognize the senior in the dim moonlit night.

"Iroh, you scared me" I sighed, first in relief and then again when I spotted Zuko slinking precariously beside the mossy palace walls. He did not return empty-handed, but held a burlap sack filled to its capacity with oddly shaped fruits and vegetables. In his other hand, he held a smaller, smoother sack that jutted out at various, rounded edges. When he saw his uncle he froze, then resumed his stealthy gate when he, too, recognized the kind old man.

"Zuko, I was worried! What took you so long?" I demanded, my motherly tone creeping back in. he smirked a little and set down the sacks. "I ran into some trouble, but don't worry, it's been taken care of. Let's get moving; we should put as much distance between us and my…Ozai as possible" I scrunched up my nose "Zuko, what happened at that Agni Kai?" I ask, but he ignored me and began heading into the ominous woods behind me. Okay, I'll take that as a 'Leave me the hell alone about it'. Iroh and I follow, taking a sack each without question. And when Zuko starts walking, he doesn't stop. It's a good thing the baby boy can walk.

"Zuko, we need to stop" I suggest hoarsely. No, I wasn't suggesting, I stopped doing that after the first fifty 'No's' he'd barked. Now I was pleading for a small break. We were well into the next morning, and both Iroh and the boy were suffering from fatigue. I was not excluded, of course "Come on, Zuko, the baby can't go on much longer without food and rest!" I reasoned. He sighed ahead of me, ducking under a tree's hefty leaved branches "That's why I told you to leave the child" he snapped. "I couldn't leave him with Ozai? Are you crazy? Of course you are, the heat's getting to you. All the more reason for us to stop" I quipped. Finally, he gave in, and dropped to the ground in a good-sized clearing and like dominos, we all followed suit.

"Miss Katara, why on Earth did you cut your hair? And quite messily, too" I smiled sweetly and I could see Zuko blush, or maybe he was just exhausted. "I don't really know, Iroh. I guess I just didn't…think…things…through first" I answered deliberately. I think the old man was oblivious to my sarcasm, though, because he just nodded and reached into the canteen sack. Faster than lightning, Zuko snatched the bag from his uncle's hands

"What are you doing? We have to save these!" he hissed. I cut my eyes "You're being unreasonable, Zuko. We need this now. Isn't that what you're supposed to do with food and water? Eat and drink it, not let it spoil in a dirty old bag" I countered. He relented, and released his iron grip on the bag. Just for good measure, I gave him a light peck "It'll last" I whisper.

Iroh glances back and forth between us with a knowing smile but says nothing more. The baby starts to whine, and I remember my hunger. I reach into the sack and pull out a ripe pear. Next to it are a bunch of purple grapes, the rest I can't quite distinguish. I take the pear for myself and begin to feed the baby the grapes. Since Iroh and Zuko eat in silence, I try to coax a word or two out of the child.

"What's your name?" I begin softly. He eagerly takes a grape and garbles "Name? Name?" I nod "Yeah, what's your name?" he swallowed another violet fruit, and I took a bite out of mine. "Do-ee" he beams. I smile back "Joey? Is that it?" he nods ecstatically. I continue "How old are you, Joey?" he holds up one hand "I five!" he says, then waves his hand around and repeats it enthusiastically. "Be quiet!" Zuko snaps.

Appalled, Joey stares at him wide-eyed "Uh oh" Zuko whispers, but it's too late; it starts out as a soft whimper, then heightens into a full blown wail. "Now look what you've done!" I accuse. Zuko stands and rubs his hand behind his head awkwardly. "Uh…don't…don't cry, kid. I-I didn't mean to…" I have to admit his blush was pretty cute. And the way he stumbled over his words was really adorable…

"I think Zuko is trying to say he's sorry, Joey" I giggled. "Oh…O-tay. 'Pology 'cepted" he squeaked. Our tender moment was cut short by staccato applause. All our heads swiveled to the source, which was directly behind us. I felt my heart sink to my toes as the lone clapping cease.

"Good Morning, brother" came the silken reply. All of our guards were suddenly up and I hid Joey behind me.

"What do you want, Azula?" Zuko hissed. She merely smirked "Oh, no good morning? Surely you have better manners than that, right brother?" she taunted. "Enough of this nonsense, Azula! What did you come for?!" he insisted. She took her time, circling her older brother confidently. "Oh, stop pretending, Zuzu. You know why I came" she insisted. He is silent, and I fear the worst. Azula finds this incredibly humorous. "You didn't even tell her? Oh, Zuzu, I thought you'd actually changed into a detestable fool, but it seems you're a deceitful, detestable fool" she laughed at our expense again and anger welled inside of me. Bending the water from the several canteens, I began to form my octagonal whip. "No you don't!" she cried, evaporating them in their premature state. I fell to my knees from exertion and she erected her hand "Seize them" I was taken roughly under my arms by two burly Dai Li members. Apparently they were still loyal to her from when she invaded Ba Sing Se from the inside out.

"You won't get away with this" I promised, and almost laughed at the cliché phrase. Only the sight of Zuko standing unscathed disconcerted me too much for me to do so. "Zuko, what's going on?" I asked slowly as the men bound Iroh and little Joey's wrists. "You little wench, I guess you don't mean as much as you thought you did to him, did you?" she cooed. "He didn't even tell you--no, I'll let father break the good news to you himself" and with that she strode off gracefully towards the palace, then suddenly stopped. "Wait" she stared at our pile of food and water and raised her hands acutely. In the next few seconds, the pile lay in ashes.

"Resume" she chirped.

Soooooooo, what do you think? Review me, please! At least three if you want to know what happens next! Just kidding, but it would be nice, you guys! There is a little more Azula in the next chappyter, but not much. Mainly Ozai and Katara, and some Zuko. Please review, though! I appreciate them a lot!