"Show me how to lie, you're getting better all the time.
With a thousand lies and a good disguise." - You're Gonna Go Far Kid, The Offspring

Katara stood on the bank of the river underneath the bridge with Zuko. He was pulling his make-shift fukumen over his head. She was still not entirely sure why they were decked out in what could only be described as ninja gear, or where he had even acquired the articles of black clothing. He told her to wait until they reached their destination—which they had—before asking questions. But, still, he had not answered the question she had already asked. Curiosity was getting the better of her no matter how much she tried to push it aside.

"Zuko," she whined. "What are we doing here?" She looked down at their feet, which were sinking in the muddy dirt, before looking up at him. Only his amber eyes were visible in the face mask.

"You're going to make an ice block, and then you're going to propel us to the other side." He explained, not meeting her gaze.

She felt utterly confused.

"Why?"

"I'm hoping it triggers a memory." This time, he looked back at her. Underneath her own fukumen, she furrowed her eyebrows.

"What is it?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Hopefully you'll see."

His vague answers were starting to wear on her nerves. Realizing he was not going to offer her more, she sighed. Then she smirked. Another question occurred to her.

"What if I don't?"

She could have sworn he rolled his eyes. "Then I'll have to tell you, but I am hoping you can remember. It was quite the stepping stone for our friendship. I was the only one who could relate to how you felt."

"Sounds interesting," she mused. "Okay, let's do this."

Bringing both of her arms to her right side, she swung them up and then forward. A large, square chunk of ice appeared before them and they stepped in sync onto the manipulated piece of land. Going through the simple rhythm, she propelled the ice block forward and felt Zuko's gaze on her.

"Do you remember anything?" He asked. She shook her head, feeling frustrated. She continued to steer them forward, willing herself to remember when she had done this before.

"She lied to you. She was protecting the last waterbender."

"What? Who?"

"ME!"

She looked at Zuko with wide, fear-stricken eyes. She yelped, her arms dropping to her sides. The solid ice beneath their feet quickly melted back into water, and before she could raise her arms to bend, they were waist-high in water.

"Katara! Are you all right?" Zuko asked, treading beside her. She mirrored his actions, but shook her head.

She was overcome with the most rage she had ever felt in all of her eighteen years. She closed her eyes; the image of an older man on the ground ran through her mind. She felt her eyebrows come together as she reopened her eyes, pulling her facemask off. Her breath was coming in shaky intervals. Next to her, Zuko treaded closer until he was in front of her. He placed both of his hands on either of her shoulders and willed her to look at him.

"I feel so angry," she said, not meet his gaze. She focused on the soaked black shirt clinging to his chest. "Who…who is this man, Zuko?"

"He's your mother's killer," he explained. "I knew the fleet he was captain of when he raided your tribe, so you and I went after him so you could face him."

Her face softened considerably when she looked up at him. He had pulled his fukumen off as well; his shaggy hair clung to his face. His amber eyes held nothing but concern and she let herself be pulled into the flames. She suddenly thought of what they must look like – two young adults wearing nothing but black, treading to stay afloat under a bridge late at night. For no reason other than he thought it was important that she remember.

"I felt so angry," she said again. "But…just looking into your eyes. How you are concerned for me…it calmed me down." A small smile spread across the Fire Lord's lips.

"I am always concerned about you," he admitted, raising a hand from her shoulder to brush a strand of hair away from her eye. "But what I did then, and now, will never compare to what you have done for me."

"Zuko, I—" She whispered, not knowing what to say, or what to do. But what he said made her heart skip a beat. The distant yearning in his eye…

"You're cold." He said, cutting her off. She blinked, looking down at her visibly shaking body. She didn't even notice how cold the water was.

"I didn't realize." She said dumbly. There is certain warmth that comes from being so close to a firebender, a voice in the back of her mind spoke. Warmth you could get used to.

"Come on, let's get you back inside." He said, dropping his arms from her shoulders. Instantly, she felt coldness where his warm hands had just been. He offered out a hand, and without any hesitation this time, linked her fingers with his.

As they came to a stop in front of her door, Katara looked down at the facemask in her hand. She had bent the water off of their soaked bodies, so they looked the same as they had when they left. Looking at the mask, though, she was washed over with the same anger—along with sadness—that she had been hit with in the river. Zuko noticed her change in demeanor and cupped her face in his hands. Lowering his forehead on hers, they stared into each other's eyes in silence.

"Are you going to be alright?" He asked softly. She nodded, his firm hands rubbing against her smooth cheeks.

"Yeah, it's just an emotional memory. I'm grateful, though, that you did this for me." She said with a sad smile as she looked into his eyes. It was dark in the hallway of the abbey, but his amber eyes glowed in the darkness like two tiny lanterns. She was drawn in, once again, like a moth to a flame.

"If you need anything throughout the night…well, you know." He said, smiling. She mimicked his actions.

"Yeah, I do know," she said. "Thank you."

A few moments passed before he spoke. She had no time to register the emotions that crossed his face, but a small part of her wished she could.

"Good night, Katara."

Smiling, she said, "Good night, Zuko."

Zuko found himself wandering the halls of the abbey the following morning. He couldn't get the sweet, almost-kiss moment he and Katara shared last night. It had definitely taken all of his self-control not to lean in and kiss her. He promised that was not his intention so he kept his word. One day—hopefully—they would engage in such actions. He could tell she enjoyed herself around him, but they still had obstacles to get around—her fiancé, for instance.

Rounding the corner into the hallway of his mother's bedroom, he heard placid voices coming from her partially opened door. Ursa was complimenting someone's hair. He realized Katara had not been in her bedroom, and his breath hitched in his throat at the thought of Katara and his mother—if he was even allowed to call her that—bonding. He had yet to find the time to be alone with her. What could Katara possibly need from her?

"Good morning," he said in his usual low, raspy voice as he pushed her door fully open. He leaned against the door frame as Ursa turned at the sound of his voice. A friendly smile graced her features and Zuko was reminded of all the times she smiled when he was younger. He pushed the bittersweet longing to be in her arms aside and watched as her hands continued working.

"Good morning, Zuko." His mother greeted, clipping a braided section of Katara's hair into a very complicated looking hairdo.

"Your mom was just doing my hair in a traditional Fire Nation hairstyle. We were on our way to retrieve you for morning tea, but we got kind of sidetracked." Katara blushed a bit and looked back into the mirror that sat in front of her.

"She has wonderful hair," Ursa commented, stepping away from her handiwork. Zuko took a seat on the sitting mat next to Katara's. She was blushing again. He smiled.

"Yeah," he agreed. "It's nice to run your hands through. But that usually results in her falling asleep…" Zuko felt a tug on his heartstrings at the memories of her falling asleep on his chest post-sex. She liked it when he ran his fingers through her hair. She sent him a sideways glance as his mind was swept away in memories.

"Yeah, that does happen. But nobody has done that in a long while, though." She said, almost upset at the notion.

Ursa noticed the shift in their demeanors and smiled. "So, what are you two kids up to today?"

"I don't know," answered Katara. "I was going to ask Zuko the same question."

At the mention of his name, he was pulled out of his reverie. He noticed both women staring at him and he cleared his throat.

"Well, I was wondering if you would escort me into town today," he said. "I don't think I can spend the day cooped up in this abbey. This is technically a vacation for me."

"Of course I'll go with you," Katara smiled. "I want to visit some of the shops anyway."

"There's a vendor who sells Water Tribe jewelry down in the market," explained Ursa. "A hair pin would be a nice final touch for the style."

"Oh! Yes, I'll definitely look into that. Thank you for doing my hair, it's beautiful." Katara said as she looked back into the mirror, lightly touching the top of many twisted, overlapping braids.

"I wore my hair like this quite a bit back in the day," Ursa commented, retrieving her golden-handled teapot off the shelf. "Zuko said it was his favorite."

Beside him, Katara went rigid in the shoulders at the double-meaning of her words. She tore her eyes away from the mirror and looked intently at the ground. Zuko felt himself tense as well as his mother's velvety laugh filled the room.

"How about that tea?" he asked. "I'm parched."

"Would you like ginseng this morning?" She asked. Katara immediately perked up at the mention of her favorite flavor of tea.

"Yes, please!" She beamed, catching Zuko's eye and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. She looked away too quickly for his liking, so he continued to stare until she had no other choice but to meet his steely gaze.

"Your hair does look nice, Katara." He complimented, smiling.

One thing Zuko had always enjoyed while dating Katara was making her blush. She blushed just as easily as she got frustrated, or jumped to conclusions. So over the course of the past couple of days with her, he relished in the fact that he could still make her face turn a hint of red. They had definitely grown comfortable in each other's presence fairly quickly. He had often thought about what it would be like if they were ever reunited—romantically or not—and how much like old times it would be. He was happy to say that it was quite like the good 'ole days.

"Thank you, Zuko," she said in a low tone. "I also wanted to thank you again for last night. I'm glad you thought about that memory, and felt like helping me remember."

Katara turned on her sitting mat so she was facing him. The pinkish tint had yet to leave her features and as they locked eyes, he realized they held gratitude in them. He gave a small nod—what he did whenever he couldn't bring himself to verbalize—and offered a smile.

"There is another distinct memory I can recall, but I'm afraid the Fire Nation doesn't have a factory that they can sacrifice for your destruction." He smirked.

"Katara," Ursa said, cutting into Katara's shocked state. She carried three cups of tea on the same golden tray as the day before and sat down on the mat behind theirs. They turned until they faced the older woman, and Katara met Ursa's gaze respectfully. "I was wondering if you would tell me what it's like back at your home. I'm afraid I have never had the chance to travel so far south."

"Oh, yes, of course," Katara replied. "I wonder where I should begin…"

"This is beautiful!" Katara gushed at a gold and blue hairpin a vendor held out in front of her.

They had stopped in the middle ring market when Katara spotted the merchant Ursa had mentioned. The vendor seemed genuinely pleased with her reaction to his products. Zuko stood off to the side and watched in silence at the transaction. It had been a long time since he had been able to take her shopping. It was something he found he thoroughly enjoyed, but he enjoyed anything that made her smile.

"Would you like to try it on?" The man asked. Katara nodded excitedly and took the clip from his hands. Without realizing it, Zuko found himself taking a step forward.

"Let me help you," he said, stepping forward. Katara looked surprised that he was still around, and he laughed. "Don't worry, my mom used to have one just like it when I was younger. I know what I'm doing."

Katara looked skeptical, but handed it over nonetheless. She turned so that her back was facing him and he fastened the hair pin on top of her complex do. After his hands fell away, she turned and faced the vendor.

"How does it look?" She asked, looking from the merchant to Zuko.

"Wonderful!" The merchant complimented.

"How much is it?" She asked, starting to pull money out of her robe's pocket. Zuko gently grabbed her wrist and shook his head.

"I've got it," he said. "How much is it?"

"For an antique like this," the merchant said. "I'll give it to you for sixty gold."

Katara gaped as Zuko handed over the money. The merchant smiled at the heap of gold in his hands. Bidding them a good day, he turned and excitedly counted the money one by one.

"So, are you hungry?" He asked, starting to walk away and leaving a gaping Katara behind him.

"Oh, I am so full." Katara muttered, rubbing her bloated stomach as they exited a restaurant that served Water Tribe food. Zuko would have been surprised at all the diversity the town had to offer if it wasn't one of the biggest tourist attractions for travelers.

"You have quite an appetite for a girl," he commented. "I think we ate the same amount and I barely feel full."

"We're also built differently," she scowled. She rubbed her tummy once more before shielding her eyes from the bright sun overhead. "I'm a small girl with a small stomach. I'm not Sokka."

Zuko laughed at the imagery of Katara eating as much as Sokka can. It was a rather unpleasant sight.

"We can head back to the abbey if you would like." He offered, giving her a sideways glance.

Katara groaned. "I don't think I can make it that far right now."

"I could always fly us." He said, smirking.

"I didn't know you could fly." Katara replied, quirking a brow.

"Fire." He said simply.

"Oh, propel us with your fire. That's a neat trick."

"But I wouldn't want you to lose your noodles, so to speak," he mocked. Katara rolled her eyes at his lame attempt of a joke. He looked at her with a slight challenge in his eye, though, and it did not go unnoticed by the waterbender. "You can get on my back, but hold on tightly,"

Zuko momentarily tensed as Katara climbed onto his back, but he was strong enough not to stumble forward at the sudden change in weight. He felt her thin arms snake around his throat, and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist since he was not able to grab ahold of her legs.

"If you feel yourself slipping, feeling sick, or all around want to be back on the ground, tell me." He finished explaining after she stilled. He felt her nod against him. He tried his hardest to ignore the fact that she had just nuzzled his neck.

"Beam me up!" She exclaimed, her laughter filling his ears.

Zuko closed his eyes, focusing on his inner fire. Flames shot out of his feet and he slowly brought them off the ground. Katara's hold on his body tightened greatly, and he leaned forward a bit as flames came out of his fists. As he continued taking them further up, she let out an excited laugh.

"I can feel my adrenaline pumping," she yelled over the wind. "This is great!"

Zuko became horizontal with the ground below them and intensified the flames coming out of his feet. As they picked up the pace, and the town below flew past them, Katara's hold on his neck disappeared.

"What are you doing?" He yelled, wishing he could look back at her.

"I don't want to choke you," she admitted. "Look! The abbey!"

Zuko saw the gate to the island before she said anything. Aiming for the ground, he started descending for the bridge, and Katara screamed as they flew at the fastest speed yet. Her hands wrapped back around his throat. He noted with minimal interest the guards pointing at them from the watchtower. Positioning himself to be upright, he landed with both feet firmly on the ground.

"You did that on purpose!" She yelled, hopping off of his back. He turned, confused.

"What?"

She folded her arms. "You flew toward the ground really fast to scare me."

He chuckled. "No, I didn't."

"Don't lie to me." She eyed him suspiciously. He held his arms up in a mock surrender.

"I would never lie to you,"

She surprised him by laughing at his statement. She swats a hand forward, momentarily brushing his arm. Feeling embarrassed, his crossed his arms over his chest.

"What's so funny?" He demanded.

"You! You are! You need to relax, Zuko," she teased. "I was only messing with you. No need to make everything a serious matter. I know you would never lie to me."

"Oh, right."

But her words did little to ease his tension. He realized—really realized—that she had no idea how everyone, everyone she trusted most, had been lying to her for the past two years. He couldn't fathom the betrayal she would feel if she ever found out. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He had been against the proposal at first, but Sokka had a way with words, and made him think this could be a good thing for her. But standing here now, with her, he realized what a mistake it had been.

A/N: Ugh, this chapter. I don't think I like it. I knew it would be one where nothing really happened, so it was kind of hard to sit down and wrap it up. But I did want to give them some quality time together before things...well, you'll see. I also had an entire day in the story to kill so :P Thanks for reading though!

Next time...

In which Uncle Iroh is nosy, Zuko gets really angry, and Katara does something that surprises the both of them.