Authors note: I like this chapter a lot, though I do have an announcement. I might be ending this story. Yes, I mean before the regular forty chapters. I've been giving it a lot of thought and I don't' know if I want to continue it. Honestly, I don't think people are appreciating it as much I thought they would. If you have anything to say you can if you like. Thank you.

Chapter Twelve

Peace at Last

"A four letter word for stupid?" Toph mumbled, brushing her hand across the Braille writing.

Aang tapped her shoulder and she instantly put her hands to his lips.

"Zuko," Aang mouthed.

Zuko, though much more capable of reading sign language could tell when his name was said in lip reading.

"Haha, I'm dying," he muttered, "Toph, the word is dumb."

Toph giggled to herself, going to a new row of words. Zuko smiled to himself as he scrubbed the countertops of Long Feng's Cuisine. As usual, it was a boring and slow day with only four customers in the whole restaurant, including Aang and Toph.

"Can we go to the skate park after work?" Aang asked.

"Maybe…I have to do extra hours."

"I hate your boss…whoever that-"

"Aang…"

"Sorry."

"What about a four letter word for moron?" Toph remarked feeling left out of the conversation.

Toph smiled, now just feeling Aang's hands as they rapidly signed.

"I already told you. The answer is Zuko."

"What kind of Braille puzzle is that?" Zuko muttered, reading the sign language.

"The many names of Zuko."

Aang smiled happily and Toph laughed. Zuko just rolled his eyes at the pun.

He then smirked, "A four letter word for moron? Well Aang and Toph fit that pretty well."

"Haha," Aang motioned with sarcasm.

"Haha," Zuko replied, hearing someone walk in the restaurant.

He grabbed his notepad off the countertop and started to walk over. But is walk became slower as he looked up. Soon, he wasn't walking at all…

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"So Sokka, how school these days?"

"Okay I guess…why do you ask?"

Hokada looked down with a shake of the head.

"No reason," he mumbled, "What about you Katara?"

Katara looked up from her cereal and shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine…uh dad, could we talk?"

"Sure."

Hokada walked over to the kitchen table, excited to see he had his daughter back. He smiled at first but seeing her frown, joined in her sadness.

"What's up?" he inquired.

"Have you found out who it is?"

"Found out whom?"

Katara lowered her voice to just a whisper, "The person who killed mom."

Hokada's face took on a new level of depression. He sat back in his chair with a sigh.

"No…it seems like I'm at a new dead end."

"But I thought-"

"So did I…we were wrong."

Katara stirred her cereal listlessly. She knew what she wanted to ask and she was going to.

"Dad, is that why we're here? Because…I'm okay with mom not being here anymore. I've learned that I have to move on. If you could move on, couldn't we go back home?"

Hokada's expression didn't change. He just sat there, staring at the table.

"We could," he muttered after while, "But I can't go on knowing the person who killed her is still out there."

"You're not going to settle your pain by killing that person. It doesn't happen like that…many people learn that the hard way."

Hokada turned his gaze to his daughter who was apparently thinking hard as if rethinking something that had happened to her.

"Even if we did go home, I still don't have a job. At least when were here I don't have to worry about you all."

"If you wanted to know…we were never worried about the house or school, or even ourselves. We worried about you…"

Hokada glanced away quickly. Katara could tell he was done with the conversation in whole. She now dropped her spoon in the soggy cereal. Standing up, she gave him one more look.

"Do us all a favor dad…" she mumbled, "And let's just go home."

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"You've got cold feet Zuko," Aang signed with a grin.

"What's going on?" Toph asked.

Aang put his hands in front of her and motioned what he had signed to Zuko. Toph laughed as she read the hand signals. Though it was harder and longer for her to read the sign language from Aang's hands, she was still quite good at it.

"So it's that girl, huh?"

Zuko tried to ignore Aang and Toph's puns as he stared at Katara.

"Why is she even here?" he thought, "If even one gang member shows up, I'm done…"

Slowing gaining up courage, Zuko started for her table. When he was only a few steps from it, he could feel his hand grow clammy like they always did when he saw Katara.

"This is so wrong," was the last thing going through his mind before he finally arrived at the table.

"May I take your order?" he said lowly.

Katara put down her menu, a tiny gasp coming from her mouth.

She hadn't even noticed she was in the same restaurant let alone notice Zuko was her waiter. Katara had run out of her house a few minutes earlier, not able to stand her dad. Somehow she ended up in the same place like before.

After a few seconds, Katara found her voice.

"Um…I was…um…still, looking over…over the-"

"The chicken ravioli is good though I don't know if good is really good at all."

Katara smiled a moment, "Good is good. I'll take it."

Zuko walked away, taking a sigh of relief. He had made it through it, though, he felt more angry than nervous. This was the girl who had blown him off two days ago.

"I can't blame her…she hasn't seen me in ten months. And it wasn't like I really wanted her to come back. The gang is too important to have some person I knew from the past mess it up."

Zuko nodded to himself, making the words permanent.

Aang looked at Zuko, "Why is she here?"

"It's a restaurant Aang…I'm guess she's hungry," he replied.

Toph picked up the conversation rather quickly, "I don't like her. She's sending me some bad vibes."

"You don't like any girls," Aang said, Toph hands still on his.

"That doesn't change anything. I know a ditz when I feel their vibes."

Zuko, still trying to ignore the two, went to the back kitchen and quickly grabbed a plate with her order. He then ran back out and slowed to a quickened walk. Katara looked up suddenly when he returned.

"Th-thank you," she stuttered.

"You're welcome."

Zuko started to walk away when Katara stood up.

"Zuko, um, can I-uh…I mean can I-"

"Yes Katara?" he interrupted.

"I just wanted to say…I'm sorry for not coming when I said I would. I had a hard day school and when I got home I was talking to my boyfriend so I…just forgot."

Boyfriend! Zuko's eyes went wide when the word was dispersed from her mouth. It was not that he was jealous, just very surprised.

"I understand," he was still able to get out calmly.

"But that's not it."

Katara walked up to Zuko and then without all her fears, opened her mouth to speak.

"I'm lost in H. Taed. I don't know where to go or who to be. I'm not saying I need a bodyguard or a guide…I just need a friend. And if it was okay with you, I'd really like to come over tomorrow and maybe talk…like we used to."

Zuko was of all things shocked. She had come out of her shell and Katara was speaking her heart.

Katara, though trying to look composed was nervous beyond her wits.

"I'd like that," Zuko answered.

Katara felt like jumping up and down right then and there but controlled herself to a nod. With that, Zuko walked back to the waiter pick up. Aang stared at him while Toph smirked.

"Fine, she isn't a ditz…but I don't like her."

Aang gave a short grin, looking over at Katara. She was just picking up her fork when she looked up. He could tell she was surprised to see him staring. The gaze lasted for only a second before Aang turned to Zuko.

"I like her."

Toph bolted up, "What did Aang say? I could feel it, he signed! Aang, what did you say?"

Zuko actually gave a quick smile and murmured, "Its okay Toph. He doesn't like her either."

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Authors note: Just a cute ending. I hope you all liked it. However, ending this story is still a possibility for me.