A/N TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY? What? Hi guys, you're getting a second chapter today, and the usual one tomorrow, and then there won't be anymore until at least Monday - after chapter 9 (tomorrow's chapter) I haven't got anymore pre-written, but I'm working on it over the weekend when I have no internet connection, so even if I had anything written, you would have to wait...my brain had kind of collapsed and I would appreciate some ideas :) please keep favouriting, following and reviewing xx

Chapter 8

The next day, Katara was sneaking through the back gardens of the palace, when a wizened voice spoke to her;

"Avoiding someone Master Katara?"

Uncle Iroh sat under a tree, in the shade, as his table, drinking tea. He motioned Katara across to him.

"Just the staff. Since yesterday, they've been...off" She took a seat the small table

"Gossip spreads quickly throughout the palace." He looked knowingly at her. Katara put her head in her hands.

"My dear, why are you so embarrassed?"

Katara raised her head, "Uncle, he is the Fire Lord. The staff can talk, and the gossip can spread, but nothing can come of it, to the eyes of his council, no matter my political standing amongst them, I am nothing more than a water tribe peasant"

"Zuko is very driven by his heart, and it is plain to anyone who looks hard enough that you each love the other unconditionally, and he is Fire Lord, yes, meaning he can fire anyone who disagrees with his heart or his mind. His council have also not pushed for an arranged marriage or set up 'meetings' with the daughters of his nobles, so I would not be so sure of their standing being against you. Furthermore, you are the closest thing your tribe has to royalty, and anything that may come of you and Zuko could only be good for the relationship between the nations. Tea?" He offered her a cup, which she took, "Besides, as I understand it, and I have experienced in the past, you are one the most powerful benders in the world, certainly the most powerful waterbender, and Zuko is a highly powerful firebender, so I do not believe anyone will deny either of you what you wish, for fear of being burned or drowned, much as I know you tried to do to my nephew yesterday" Katara smiled.

"He was not fighting like himself yesterday; it was as if he was in a different world in his head"

"Like yourself I believe, Master Toph and Avatar Aang had both spoken to him, and they possibly knew before he did that he was in love with you. He has always worn his emotions on his sleeves, but has difficulty seeing them for himself. I think that is why he and Mai struggled; each was stubborn as if earthbenders, and could not express themselves, but also it seems, the fates did not want them to be together. It seems destiny came to a crossroads, and chose you to be with Zuko, but when it was decided, I feel, it was different for each of you"

Katara contemplated this as she sipped her tea.

"Now, my dear, seen as some of your worries have been alleviated, how are your friends and your brother?"

"They are well, Sokka actually wrote to me yesterday, which was how Zuko and I were caught, my youngest maid Kumi, came to the arena with the letter looking for me. He has made the move to Kyoshi Island permanent, and has joined the warriors, and has encouraged more men to join them. He has also been carrying on his sword training from Master Piandao, and has a small group of children copying him with sticks"

"Your father did mention before he left that he had been meddling in your brother's love life, and had pretty much kicked your brother out of the Southern Water Tribe when he asked to move to Kyoshi, so that he could be with Miss Suki. I understand that they had struggled the last year, but it seems your father is determined to keep them together, he expects they will be married within the year" Katara choked slightly on her tea.

"If that is the case Uncle, what was his reasoning for allowing me to remain in the Fire Nation?"

"Master Katara, I told you, your feelings for my nephew and vice versa were quite plain to everyone but yourselves" The old man's eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Are you hiding something Uncle?"

"I couldn't possibly say Master Katara"

Iroh chuckled into his cup of tea, as his nephew appeared around an archway on the opposite side of the garden. Katara turned and was transported back to a few weeks before when he had come away from his anniversary dinner, and come to her in the royal gardens. Zuko spotted the pair and quickly closed the gap, and sat in the third chair at the table. His uncle set a cup of tea in front of him. Zuko looked at Katara;

"Avoiding the staff?" she nodded, "They've been a nightmare, although the councilmen may have been worse"

"Did I miss a meeting?"

"No, not exactly anyway, they called an 'emergency meeting' and basically told me how they knew it, and how all the gossiping amongst the staff and the people could stop now, because it was true and was no longer worthy gossip. They were like little girls, giggling and gossiping"

Katara's smile softened. She was thankful to have not been in the meeting, but imagining Zuko's face going a deeper shade of red with each passing minute, and the fire around his throne reaching higher and higher to cover his face made her feel sorry for him. She took his hand which was lying on the table and held it.

"Now Uncle, what are you hiding?" Zuko turned his face to his beloved uncle, and gave him what can only be described as the Fire Lord death stare, a move perfected by Ozai and Azula, that Zuko only used for...special occasions.

"My dear nephew, I grew up with Ozai as a brother, that face does nothing to me," Zuko's face softened, "I am hiding nothing that concerns either of you. Yet"

"That yet is what scares me" Zuko countered

"I have no doubt all will become clear soon enough" Iroh's eyes twinkled again, "Anyway, I must take my leave, I have a pai-sho game scheduled with an old friend in the city that I must win before I return to Ba Sing Se. Fire Lord," The older man bowed low, "Master Katara" He gave another bow, and left the teenagers alone in the garden. They both watched him go before returning their attention to each other.

"So" Katara started

"So" said Zuko. Katara let out a small laugh at their inability to have a conversation.

"I really like your laugh. I always have done," Katara blushed at the compliment, "And the way you blush, it makes you look even more beautiful" Katara blushed even harder.

"I think you are the bravest person I know. Yes, Aang is the Avatar, Toph is epic and Sokka is a warrior, but you abandoned something that so many people hold dear, your family, for the greater good," Katara began, as Zuko's face started to mirror her own in colour, "You've picked up your country and your people, and given the whole world hope again, and you've even made amends with your sister who tried to kill you"

"Technically, she was trying to kill you. I just jumped in front of the lightning because I thought I could redirect it into the sky and avoid hurting anyone. Clearly, by the huge scar on my chest, it didn't work, but no-one died in the courtyard that day"

"Why did you jump in front of the lightning, and how did it not kill you?"

"The other healers who came in after you to attend to me said I had redirected it correctly, it had just touched my heart on the way out. That moment when Azula's eyes shifted to you was when I knew. I knew I would give my life for you, that nothing else in the world mattered, and that I loved you. It just took my head a little bit of time to catch up," Katara's eyes had become watery around the edges, "When did you know?" Katara blushed

"The first time I saw you without the ponytail, when we had Azula cornered and she just disappeared, but it took a while for everything to be realised in my head, because at the time, you were still a major enemy, and you did yell at me when I tried to help. The crystal catacombs were a significant moment in changing my opinion of you, but as you know, I wasn't happy with you again until we went to hunt down the Southern Raiders. When we got back, and we hugged, I felt something. When I knew for sure...it was after I had watched Aang fly away on Appa from Ba Sing Se, and I turned around, and there you were. I was barely listening as you outlined the plan for the Council of Nations to join you here, and I just nodded along. So really, it's a complete accident that I'm even here, because I had no idea what I was agreeing to. I guess all this now explains why I walked out of the meetings where your old councilmen brought up marriage?"

Zuko raised his free hand and stroked Katara's cheek; she leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. Zuko leaned forward and kissed her lips before saying;

"Definitely, but you know it won't stop those meetings about marriage? If anything, it will get worse"

Katara frowned. Zuko kissed her pouted lips again. She smiled;

"Iroh did hint though that we could just remind them how powerful we are, despite our ages and our past, and that may shut them up for a while"

Zuko smiled at his uncle's idea; he and Katara certainly were powerful, and the nobles and councilmen knew this, having watched the pair spar many times before, but it did not mean that the gossip behind their backs would stop for very long. He spoke;

"So what are we?"

Katara had begun to lazily draw circles on his hands which now both lay face up on the table with her fingers. Zuko found it oddly soothing and watched her hands, sensing how much power, both combative and healing, they had within them.

"I think we're a couple" Katara said softly

"We've gone about this all wrong" Zuko joked

"When have we ever done anything right?"