A/N: I still don't own the right to avatar or its characters :(

PREVIOUSLY ON AVATAR...

Aang promised Zuko he would help Azula, he then travelled to the island where she is kept and saw her for the first time.

CHAPTER 3

She's Awake

Azula slowly started to re-awake; as she sat up and gently rubbed her temples with her index fingers trying to remember what had happened before she had fainted. "Hello Azula." She heard as her head snapped up, scanning the room searching for the voice, her eyes falling upon the bald man she had seen last night. "Wh … who are you?" Azula managed to ask rather tiredly.

"Don't tell me that you've forgotten me Azula?!, you spent the better part of a year trying to capture me before you came here." Aang replied smiling almost as if this were a joke. All of this began to sink in for Azula, and then she saw the arrows and gasped. "Avatar?"

She had not recognised him because the last time she had seen him he was just a hyperactive twelve year old kid and now, well now he had become a young man, a man that she noticed as having developed well, growing to be well over six feet tall and a figure that suggested a lot of physical training. Her eyes hardened however as she remembered what the Avatar had meant to her, "What are you doing here?" she spat at him. Aang did not flinch but continued to smile before responding calmly taking a step towards her, "Azula, believe it or not I am here to help you."

"Help me what exactly Avatar?" she returned backing away from him.

"Please my name is Aang, and I am here to help you go home, I want to help you get better." Aang was still smiling, this infuriated Azula so she snapped back, "Well Avatar what if I don't want to leave, what if I don't want your help?"

Aang had not expected this response but did not let it show as he thought his way through how to proceed.

Hmm she seems to have some trust issues, maybe thats why she is so hesitant to accept help, I wonder where this started.

"Well Azula I'm not giving up on you…" Aang began before Azula interjected, "LIAR, YOU ARE JUST GOING TO LEAVE ME LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HAS" Azula began to sob at the end of this, Aang made his way to her quickly and brought her gently into a embrace to which she flinched before folding onto his chest and continuing to cry into his shoulder,

Just as I thought trust issues, apparently she has had people leave her, I remember Zuko saying something about there mother leaving when they were fairly young. Maybe that has something to do with it...

"Azula I'm not going to abandon you, I'm not leaving." Azula looked up at him rubbing her eyes, "Really, you're not?"

Why would he stay no one has ever stayed, especially Ty Lee and Mai, that's what hurt the most, those I thought were my friends even left me.

"No Azula, I'm not leaving, I'm here for you." Aang said bringing her in tighter against him.

"But why?" she sniffled,

Why is she being so distant and sceptical, this may be even harder than I thought, insanity is easy to deal with on its own, but toss in trust issue and fear of abandonment and wow this is a huge task now, but I won't give up on her.

"Because I believe everyone deserves a second chance and I've seen it already, I believe you can change." This puzzled Azula a little so she pushed him off before saying, "Ha well then you're set to be disappointed, I can't change I am who I am, a monster, even my own mother thought as much. So just leave Avatar you are wasting your time"

How could I possibly change; I don't even know if I can, it's true mother did think I was a monster; I heard her say it..

"Ok Azula, I'll let you have your space this time," Aang chirped quite happily as he slowly stood back up and walked to the door, "but just remember I will be back tomorrow." he added turning back to her at the door, Azula could only scowl in response.

Aang knocked on the door to signify that he was ready to leave, the door opened immediately and he stepped back into the corridor. "So how was it, a complete waste of time looking at an unconscious figure for a few hours?" Dr. Tao asked while smirking.

[I don't know what he or the Fire Lord hope to gain out of this but I guess I have to go along with the ride, they are both my bosses]

"Unconscious? She wasn't unconscious at all we have been talking for most of the time and I believe that I may have found some of the causes of her anguish, so no doctor not a waste of time at all." Aang returned curtly still walking down the corridor. "You mean she was awake?" Aang nodded,

Why is that so much of a surprise to him, shouldn't he be helping her?

The doctor continued, "That's incredible, we haven't been able to get her to wake for months, you must really be what the uh doctor ordered so to speak haha."

"Yes I may well be" Aang chuckled, "But I was wondering, do you have a piece of paper, a brush and ink so that I can send a message to the Fire Lord?" as they continued to stride down the corridor,

"Of course Avatar right this way." Dr. Tao said as they approached his office.

Aang bent a table and chair out of the earth in the sun outside of the asylum and began to write

Zuko, how are you and Katara? I am writing to tell you that I have just finished my first visit with Azula. All went well and I believe I have made progress already, I am still unsure to the amount of time it may take for her to get better so I will be staying here on the island until she is ready to come home.

With love, your friend the Avatar,

Aang

Aang then sealed the letter and wrote on the outside: For Fire Lord Zuko's Eyes Only he then attached it to the messenger hawk that Dr. Tao had given him and sent the bird on its way.

I hope this makes Zuko happy, I know he wants fast results but I will take my time and make sure Azula is ready.

Aang then put his feet up on the desk and fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile back at the palace…

"ZUKO!" Katara screamed, bringing Zuko tearing through the halls until he found her outside Aang's rooms. "What is it Katara?" he offered doubled over and panting trying to catch his breath,

"Where has Aang gone? I can't find him anywhere I've looked in all the courtyards and all over the palace, nothing, and Appa's gone as well." She demanded arms crossed over her chest.

Zuko had known that this would come up and straightened himself up once he had caught his breath, "Actually that's what he wanted to talk to me about at breakfast this morning," I hope she believes this... "he told me that there had been an uprising in some of the Earth Kingdom colonies and Bumi asked if he would help, so he had to go and sort out the conflict." Hmm that actually wasn't half bad haha "He said he wasn't sure when he would be able to return but said sorry for not being able to tell you in person but for me to say goodbye and that he loves you." Perfect she has got to believe me now.

Katara seemed to relax a little at this before saying "I think he really does need a break, a vacation, just take away some of the stress he's under otherwise I think he'll just burn himself out."

"I agree, hopefully he won't be away for too long." Zuko replied, closing the distance between himself and Katara and kissed her on the forehead telling her "Come now it is time we went and saw a show in town, meet some of the people."

"Sounds great give me a minute to go get changed." Katara beamed back at him,

"Sure I'll meet you down stairs in thirty minutes."

Whew got away with that big time, that makes us even Aang, well maybe not but its a start.

Azula woke to the smell of komodo chicken the next morning and she sniffed breathing in the air, following the scent until she saw Aang holding the tray of food. Why is he back again already, wait he did say he would; maybe he's not lying to me, maybe he wants to help.

She half scowled; half smirked at Aang who was just sitting there meditating eyes closed. "Good morning Princess, I told you I was not going to leave you" he began without opening his eyes, startling her. "How did you know I was awake?" she demanded, he opened one eye also smirking before replying, "Azula the amount of heat your death stare gave me was more than enough of an indicator." he looked at her and he saw that some of the fire in her eyes had gone out,

Maybe she is starting to see that I won't abandon her.

He closed his eye again before continuing "I did bring your favourite food, komodo chicken I was told you liked it anyway." He slid a tray containing a bowl of the chicken to her. "Thankyou, I guess it was Zuzu that told you that" she grunted before wolfing it down.

Zuzu? oh Zuko right haha I Have got to remember that, he will not hear the end of that nickname haha,

Azula was eating when Aang again opened his eyes and looked at her and asked "What were you dreaming about? I noticed that at first it gave you trouble but then you appeared to find peace." She stopped for a moment licking her fingers, Should i tell him? he is right of course at first I dreamt of mother and father but then he come and saved me. No I won't tell him... at least not yet.

Azula considered Aang before she replied "That Avatar is none of your business."

Hmm it was as if she had to stop herself from telling me something then, now I really am interested as to what gets her so agitated and then what calmed her down so much.

"OK, OK I get it you still don't trust me but remember Azula we will be seeing each other a fair bit, so you will have to open up eventually." Aang suggested. As they went back to sitting in silence Aang placed his hands behind his head and stretched out, starting to cramp from meditating for so long.

Once she had finished the chicken Azula sat up and looked at the Aang and she wondered to herself why he was here, he couldn't really want to help, no one did. "So Avatar" she began, "Azula please it's just Aang" he interrupted, "Fine Aang, why are you still here, and don't tell me it's because you believe in second chances."

Well I may as well tell her the truth, maybe if I open up she will see that I trust her and that she can trust me.

"Fine, if you want me to be honest I will, I am still here because I want to help, I want to see you get better, I want you to be happy again and I want to be your friend." Aang replied nervously.

"But why do you want all of this Aang?" She replied mockingly hands on her hips.

"Because I need a friend too" Aang whispered almost on the verge of tears.

A/N: so thats it for another chapter, read and review and let me know if you like it.

Massive thanks LD 1449 & Selarom1219 gave me a bit of help along the way with this chapter, helping to iron out a few kinks in style haha