Chapter 9

In the few days following Katara and Zuko confirming between themselves what they were, and that they were in fact a couple, news quickly spread throughout the staff, and nobles, and made its way into the city, and soon, it felt like the world knew. Sokka had sent Hawky with a very unthreatening note for Zuko, which read something to the effect of 'If you hurt my baby sister, you won't be able to hide anywhere' and a message for Katara from Suki, which simply said 'I knew it'. Aang sent a letter from an obscure Earth Kingdom village saying 'the feet never lie', and Iroh was seen walking round the palace, holding a letter of Water Tribe origin, going on about quickening things up, and how he needed some iced tea leaves now. Zuko often commented how the old man seemed to slipping into cheerful insanity as each day passed, especially as Iroh had chosen one of his apprentices' to take over the Jasmine Dragon for him, and had moved back to the palace; his reasoning, he said, was to spend more time with his beloved nephew. The young couple suspected an ulterior motive. Toph was the last of their friends to get in contact, but like Aang, she said she never doubted her feet, and in a private note to Katara, had said how Sugar Queen would one day be the Fire Lady, she had no doubt of it, leaving Katara quite shocked. Not because she doubted it herself, but she had not thought about her relationship with Zuko in that sense at that point, and no-one else had construed it as an engagement announcement when the news had spread, at least not to their faces.

That evening, like many evenings of the past year, Katara made her way to the dining room to share dinner with Zuko. Tonight was different to a number of those previous dinners for many reasons; Katara and Zuko were now a couple and did not have to each hide their feelings or act awkward; Uncle Iroh was once again living in the palace and would be joining them, and was clearly plotting something, and to add a spanner to the works, Azula and her physician would be joining them. The hospital where she had been residing thought it would be good for her to begin rehabilitation into everyday life, and so, beginning tonight, she would, once a week, join her brother for dinner, and by extension, Iroh and Katara. Katara felt quite calm considering this; Azula had tried to kill her, but she was without her bending know, and from the weekly reports that Zuko received, Katara knew that Azula was much more sane than she had been a year ago when she was stopped in her attempt to become Fire Lord by the couple she would now share a table with.

Katara happened to glance at a clock on the wall as she turned into another corridor, and quickened her pace to the dining room. She wasn't late, in fact she was quite early, but she and Zuko had not had a large amount of time to themselves, and the dining room was guarded from the outside, and was away from the prying eyes of the council, the nobles and Iroh. She rounded another corner and walked into Zuko.

"You're going the wrong way" He said, while smiling at her

Katara turned around, looking down the corridor stretching to the right of where she had just turned left from. She turned back to Zuko, looking rather sheepish;

"I was just checking you knew where you were going"

Zuko bent down and kissed her forehead, holding in a small laugh while doing so, and took her hand, grinning from ear to ear, and they walked together to the dining room, making small talk about the weather (it was hot), the subjects from today's meetings (compensation provision for the Earth Kingdom, and trade route improvement with the Northern Water Tribe) and why Uncle had made the sudden decision to remain in the Fire Nation (neither of them had any ideas on this yet, other than he wanted to meddle with them)

They reached their destination, nodded to the guards, who opened the doors, and walked inside. Zuko walked to his chair at the head of the table, and sat down. Katara loitered by the door, and looked down at the floor.

"Katara?" he said with such sincerity that he saved only for the young woman before him, "what's wrong?"

Katara whispered something that Zuko could not make out. He stood back up from his chair and walked slowly back towards her. He drew up to her, and feeling unsure of what to do, wrapped his arms around her. Whatever was wrong with her, a hug was obviously what she needed, as she threw her arms around him and pulled him closer to her.

"Wanna tell me what's wrong now?" he murmured into her hair, which surrounded his face. She gave a small laugh and raised her face so Zuko could see the small tears that formed in her eyes.

"You're going to think it is silly."

Zuko smiled down at her softly, "I would never mistake anything you did for silly. Tell me?"

Katara closed her eyes, "Idon'tthinkAzulawilllikemebeingwithyou" she let out quickly

"What?" said Zuko, unable to process quickly enough what Katara had said. She breathed in and pushed the hug wider.

"I don't think...that Azula...will like me being...with you" she murmured slowly

Zuko raised a brow at her, "And why do you think that?"

"The last time she spoke to me, she called me a water tribe peasant! She tried to kill me! Up until Aang took her bending away and your Father's regime fell, she believed that all who were not Fire Nation were inferior. She probably still thinks that! What possible reason does she have to like me?" said Katara, becoming slightly hysterical and frustrated. Zuko pulled her back into a tight hug and wound a hand into her hair, and kissed her temple lightly.

"Do you want to know why she shot lightning at you instead of just aiming it all at me? Because even in her insane state, she knew that as part of the Agni Kai, she should have just taken me out, or god forbid, taken me out first, and then gone for you. She shot it at you to get a reaction out of me. Which she got...probably a more intense reaction than she was expecting, but she got what she wanted. At the time, it showed as a way to hurt me. Now, now she might be back to the Azula I grew up with, who was somewhat more sane, and she might still see you as a way to hurt me, but you won the Agni Kai, so she will see you as the more powerful of the two of you, whether that will intimidate, frighten or anger her, I don't know, and she may hold it against you, and if she were still a bender, she would be a danger to you and I would not have allowed the hospital to bring her to dinner, but I am sure, she will like you, in time. You possess qualities that she honours; passion, strength, great ability, but you are nothing like her, you have kindness, selflessness, and you can love" He pushed a stray hair back behind her ear and loosened his grip on her, "You are the opposite in many ways to Azula, and yet, you both possess the power and strength and skill to protect what you believe in. She used that to fuel my Father's regime and evoke fear. You used it to protect your family, and your friends, you use it to heal and to care, and you bring out the best in people with that."

Katara looked up at Zuko.

"You brought out the best in me" Zuko said, "I know, that eventually, Azula will be sane completely again, and these dinners will help...because you are here. Then, she will love you and see the person inside and not the person she simply wanted to see on the outside"

Katara leaned up on her toes, closed her eyes, from which tears had begun to flow, and grabbed the front of Zuko's shirt, bringing his face to hers, and kissed him on the mouth with the full emotion of how her life had changed because of this man in the last year and a half rushing out. Zuko's hands remained on her waist, and his eyes closed too, as they each deepened the kiss.

Neither heard the guards push open the door and three people enter the room.

Iroh gave a small cough. Zuko and Katara remained joined at the hip, turning to face their guests. The two men, Iroh, and the physician, Be stood either side of the Fire Princess. Azula eyed her brother, then ran her eyes over Katara, and cocked her head to one side, as if trying to recall the memory of Katara.

"Zuzu, you really should have told me at the ball that you were seeing this...girl. It might have stopped some of the incredible rumours I heard circulating the room" Azula walked past the couple, followed by her physician, towards the table. Iroh followed them, but stopped beside Zuko, and leaned into the teen's ear;

"You really should find a quieter place for that kind of thing, Fire Lord"

A red circular mark formed on the heads of the couple.

A/N Hey guys, this is chapter 9 :D i think this is now the longest fic I have ever written...and we are far from over :D keep favouriting, following and reviewing, and I will have a new chapter for you on monday or tuesday, because I have no internet over the weekend while I pet sit the most adorable cats ever :) xxx

If you have an ideas of what I should write Zuko and Katara doing, please message me or add it to your review, and please comment on the following ideas I'm considering;

Marriage - proposal, engagement period, engagement announcement, marriage ceremony, first night of marriage? (meaning a change in fic rating ;) )
More sparring matches
Katara providing a beat down of words to cantankerous members of the Fire Nation Council
Zuko taking royal visits to the other nations, and fighting for Katara to come with him
Iroh or Hakoda to win the bet?
Family visits from Sokka and Suki
Who should I get Toph with? Aang? Haru? Teo? The Duke? ...Azula? Ty-Lee? Mai?
Azula - make her insane again and lock her away, or do as Zuko says, let Katara be a good influence on her? (I'll admit, I don't like Azula all that much)
Ursa - find her? Dead? Alive? Bring her back to the Fire Nation? Have Zuko confront Ozai about her?
Ok, I'm not releasing Ozai, but should Zuko make a deal with him, or even better, Iroh?

Please tell me your ideas xxx