"A little advice, keep your eye on your opponent kid." Atsuo mocked Zuko. Atsuos' smirk was the last thing Zuko saw. I'm going to kill you!

Jet got there just in time to see Zuko being loaded into a truck. GODDAMN IT! Jet didn't have time to think he just acted. He released two smoke bombs from up his sleeves sending everyone into chaos. Jet with the help of his thermal imaging goggles spotted Zuko right away. Right when Jet was next to Zuko, Atsuo tried to attack Jet from behind. Jet sensed the attack coming and dodged it expertly.

"Now I can't let you take our prize now can I?" Atsuo smirked at Jet. It was like the smoke wasn't even there seeing as Atsuo could see Jet just fine. Jet just glared at him from under his goggles. "But what do you say to this; you for him?" Jet laughed out loud.

"What kind of baka are you to think that I would accept such an obvious trick." Jet growled out as he threw Shurikens at Atsuo. Atsuo just caught them in-between his fingers.

"If that's all you got then you're a sad excuse for a bodyguard especially since you trained under all the masters who said you were a genius for mastering everything in just three years." Atsuo voice was covered in malice. Jet was shocked only Ozai, Iroh, and some others knew what he was doing the past three years. "Surprised aren't cha. That doesn't matter my offer is still on the table if you want it." Jet growled at Atsuo. I'm gonna kill you! Jet threw a dozen more shurikens then jumped attack Atsuo. He just dodged the shurikens and shielded himself from Jets' jump attack. Throwing Jet off him he went after him with couple punches which Jet redirected and countered with some high kicks. They were both equally matched. I need to get Zuko out of here! I don't have time for this shit! Police sirens split the silence apart. As Atsuo let down his guard for a moment Jet took advantage to knock Atsuo back not wasting a moment to gather Zuko and get the hell out. Jet's only priority is Zukos' safety nothing else matters. Though I will eventually teach you your place someday!

"How could you let him escape?" The mysterious woman calmly asks Atsuo.

"I have no excuse except I underestimated his bodyguards' ability." Atsuo spits out. When I see him again I'll teach him what my real power is! The mysterious woman exhales. She looks at Atsuo kindly.

"At least no one was caught by the police. Your brother is in the infirmary when you want to see him." She told him and nodded. Telling him he is dismissed. He bowed respectfully and left hurrying to the infirmary. As Atsuo entered the infirmary he spotted his brother immediately.

"Eri how could you be so rash?" Atsuo chided his older brother. Eri smiled gently at Atsuo.

"Aww, don't be like that brother. Besides you took care of him anyway the way I heard it." Eri waved Atsuos' chiding off.

"Yes, but he still got away. If you followed the plan he wouldn't have slipped from our grasp. Even with Jets' skills he wouldn't have been able to have retrieved Zuko from our hands if you weren't out cold." Atsuo accused Eri. Eri shook his head.

"I think Jet would have found a way. Neither of us had ever beaten him even when we ganged up on him." Eri reminded Atsuo calmly. He knew Atsuo hated failure especially when that failure Atsuo considered his own fault. "But don't you think this makes things more fun. Now Zuko has to be told about what is happening and the game of cat and mouse can begin."

"But who is the cat and who is the mouse?" Atsuo wonders.

Zukos' rage was at its' boiling point. "Why wasn't I told about any of this!" Zuko yelled at the group. Iroh looks sadly at him while holding Jade's hand while June glares with hard eyes at Zuko. Jet is outside talking on his cell phone ignoring the room.

"Would it have made a difference?" June asks.

"I don't know BUT it could've!" Zuko yells back at June. Zuko feels like crap. His head was throbbing, he felt lick vomiting, and being pissed off wasn't helping him. Fucking cowards probably drugged me after knocking me out. June looked like she wanted to smash something into Zuko's head, something like sense. Iroh was the only thing holding her back from doing exactly that.

"It was your mothers' wishes. She didn't want you worrying unnecessarily besides Zuko knowing sometimes is worse than not knowing." Iroh wanted Zuko to understand they thought it was better for him to not realize what was going on and live in happy ignorance.

"Sometimes Uncle, even if knowing is worse it is necessary to make things better." Zuko replies coolly. They explained to him what was going on. An underground terrorist group called the Black Lotus is targeting young masters of high class establishments. His family received threats from them suddenly four years ago which they reason why they took Jet away a year later so they could train him specifically for being his bodyguard. They waited a year so Zuko and Jet could graduate together but they were secretly training Jet the entire year. Zuko didn't understand why they couldn't have told him all this. He was responsible, capable, and if he had known he wouldn't have gone off alone like that, maybe. But more than anything, Zuko couldn't forgive his family for taking away his best friend for three years without telling him. Even if they didn't tell me anything else why couldn't they tell me that?

"Zuko get some rest." Jet told him as he reentered the room. Zuko tsked and stood up.

"I was out for like three hours! I've rested enough!" He shouted at Jet.

"You need to rest." Jets' eyes pierced Zuko but this time Zuko wasn't going to listen.

"Well if you did your job I wouldn't have to Mr. Bodyguard!" Those words went straight to Jets' heart. Zuko storms passed everyone and out into the garden. He needs to be alone. Jet starts to head after him only to be stopped by Iroh. Iroh shakes his head. Jet cast his eyes downward getting angry at himself. If I just told Zuko how much I'd missed him none of this would have happened. For hours Zuko sat next to pond where he and his mother would just sit and talk about everything sometimes and others they didn't talk at all just sat there in silence enjoying the moment. Zuko could hear his mother telling him he was being stubborn and he should go apologize to them because they were only following her wishes not purposely hiding it from Zuko. I know mother I just wished they would have told me about Jet. For three years to make up for the hole in me which was the absence of Jet I filled in with fighting and bloodshed. "But look at what you told him? You told him he wasn't good enough to protect you." Zukos' insides twisted into a knot. What he said to Jet wasn't what Zuko wanted to tell took a deep breath and steeled himself to apologize to Iroh and June. But more to steel himself for what he was going to say to Jet. He found June in the shop arm-wrestling with the customers. She has never lost a match or backed down from a challenge. She glanced out of the corner of her eye to spot Zuko and winked. June knew what Zuko was going to say but she had already forgiving him besides it wasn't her that he really needed apologize to. He bowed and found Iroh in the kitchen fixing a pot of his famous green tea. Iroh shook his head when he saw Zuko.

"Nephew there is no need for you to apologize to me. Your reaction was understandable plus I'm not the one you need to talk to." Iroh stated simply. Zuko nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'm sorry for behaving in such a manner anyway, Uncle. I also know that I need to talk to Jet." Zuko bowed. Iroh smiled lovingly.

"Love might not always be easy but it is what makes us able to do anything." Iroh gave him a wink. Zuko blushed lightly and smiled in return. "I believe Jet is on the roof."

"Thank you Uncle." Zuko bowed and headed to the roof. Zuko knew Jet would be beating himself over what had happen but Zuko needed to let him know it wasn't his fault and what his true feelings are. As Zuko climbs onto the roof he spots Jet chewing on a wheat grass. Zuko hugs Jet from behind.

"Before you say anything let me say this. I'm sorry for everything. When you left it made a hole in my heart so seeing you so suddenly and acting like the last three years didn't happen made me upset. I'm sorry for not telling you how I felt or that I love you and am so happy your back." His voice shook from holding back tears and tightened his hug on Jet afraid if he let go Jet disappear again. Jet smiled at the stars. It was a beautiful night for stargazing since you could actually see them cover the night sky.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one that should be apologizing for not telling you that the last three years was torture without seeing your smiling face, how much I missed you, or how much I wanted to hold you close and never let go." Jet turns his moist soil eyes begged for forgiveness. Zuko kissed him. He could've told Jet it was ok but he wanted to show him it was ok. "Say it again."

"I love you and I always will." Zuko whispered softly against Jet's lips as he captured them in a hot kiss.

"Then stay and watch the stars with me." Jet kissed back. Zuko nodded and sat down on Jet's lap reveling in the warmth of Jet's arm as they held him close. The two were finally communication on the same page. The stars seemed to shine brighter for them that night.