Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender. It is the property of its creators and Nickelodeon.

Chapter 2: Understanding…Sort Of

The afternoon in the Western Air Temple was the same as always. Zuko was teaching Aang, and as always, Katara was leering at Zuko, making sure he didn't pull anything funny. Aang learned quickly, mastering the moves as if he had been doing them his whole life, and there were times when Zuko thought all he was doing was giving Aang a quick review and not actually teaching him. But there were times when Zuko needed to intervene when he noticed Aang was repeating mistakes all over again.

"No, like this," said Zuko trying to show Aang how to properly execute a lunging fire kick.

He demonstrated the move again, and when he finished, Aang got into position.

"Like this?" asked Aang.

Aang tried the move again, but when he landed, he lost his balance, and landed hard on his bottom. Toph was walking by when this happened, and started laughing.

"What's wrong Twinkletoes?" she asked, "Don't airbenders know how to land when they fly?"

Aang and Katara shot Toph a look, but she didn't notice. Zuko approached Aang, and helped him up as Aang was rubbing his bottom to ease the sore.

"Sorry Zuko," apologized Aang.

"Don't worry, this is pretty advanced stuff," said Zuko, "If it makes you feel better, I never got this move right the first time either."

"Really?" asked Aang.

"Yeah," said Zuko, "Azula however, she could do everything right the first time around. I hated that."

"Why?" said Katara, "Because you were outdone by your little sister, or because you aren't a good fire bender?"

Zuko stared at her, fists clenched, but he bit his tongue. A half of him was screaming to yell at her to shut up, but other half told him to endure. He had been insulted ever since Azula had more promise as a future Fire Lord, and a few more from Katara wasn't going to kill him. He returned his attention to Aang, who now wore a look of concern for his teacher.

"Just remember to tighten your body up. The smaller you make your self, the faster you'll deliver the attack and land successfully. Anyway, I think that's all for today," he replied keeping his composure.

Zuko walked away in another direction, but Toph, sensing an irregularity in Zuko's body rhythm, quickly followed him. He began to cross is arms, and walk heavily, venting his frustrations on the ground. It didn't take him long to notice the little earth bender walking with him, and beginning to copy his mannerisms as he did, due to the fact that the pebbles on the ground shook as she did.

"Is something wrong?" he began.

"Yeah, you," she replied.

"What did I do now?"

"Nothing, and that's what's bothering me."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't get it; Katara constantly insults and berates you, and you do nothing. I mean if it were someone else doing it to you, you would at least say something. Why take all the flak?"

Zuko stopped walking for a moment, and Toph did the same to hear what Zuko had to say.

"It's her right to, after everything I've done. If you were there, you may feel the same way," said Zuko.

Toph let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Oh come on! Would you quit falling on your sword for one day, and give it a rest!" she shouted.

Zuko looked at Toph with wide eyes.

"Seriously, you're starting to sound like Katara with all your self imposed guilt trips, and weepy, mopey attitude. I mean, we already have one whiney person filling out that role, and we don't need two."

"So, you're saying I should yell back at Katara, in front of everyone; great thinking Toph. Maybe then, everyone will see just how much I've changed."

"Yeah like that," said Toph with an encouraging tone, "I mean, I'm not telling you to have an all out war with her, but you know, defend your position. Let her know you have changed, you're going to stay and help out, and that you won't be intimidated anymore."

Zuko was quiet for a while, before walking off. Toph simply stood there, but made a small grin. She felt Zuko's heartbeats, and the rhythm was not as heavy as it was earlier.

"It feels good to help," she said patting herself on the back.

xXxXx

Katara set herself down with a pot for food, and the ingredients that she had managed to get from foraging on the cliff tops. She filled it with water from the fountain, and began to heat it up when Aang approached her. He had a concerned look on his face, and this began to worry Katara.

"Is something wrong Aang?" she asked.

Aang sat down next to her.

"Katara, I wanted to talk about the way you treat Zuko," he answered.

"…Oh" was all she said, "Does this have anything to do with earlier today?"

"Not just today but the past week," said Aang, "I know that you and Zuko haven't seen eye to eye in the past, but I want you to stop picking on him. He's really serious about helping us, and he's done more than enough to prove it. Can't you just be satisfied with that and move on?" he asked.

Katara's eyes were as wide as a full moon. She looked away, scowling at the thought of simply letting her grudge toward Zuko go. She turned to face Aang, her scowl receded quickly, but not enough. Aang caught only a glimpse of it, and the sight of her face like that turned Aang's concern into worry.

"How can I move on? I was the first one to think that he changed and look what happened. You got shot by Azula, and we almost lost you. So, forgive me if I can't be as forgiving as you."

Aang took in Katara's answer with a grain of salt. It hurt him to see her upset or angry, and tried quickly to find a way to defend Zuko. He thought long and hard, and finally he had his answer.

"Katara, did I ever tell you about my friend Kuzon?" he asked.

Katara looked at him skeptically, sensing what Aang was trying to do.

"You've mentioned him," she replied.

"Well, he had this aunt who owned a flower shop, and she showed us this one flower called a mist lily. It says that when it first blooms, the center of it is bluish-grey, but when it matures, it changes into a random color. Now the thing was that each of the lilies changed color individually, and at different times."

"So what does this have to do with Zuko?" she asked.

"In a way, Zuko's like a mist lily. Maybe back then he was still grey, but now his true color has shown. He probably just needed a little more time before he found what he was looking for.

"That's a great story Aang, but it still won't change my opinions of him."

Aang rubbed his head not knowing what else to do.

"Well, I guess…the rest of us started to trust him after a little time. Maybe you also need a little bit more time before you accept him also," said Aang softly, "See you at dinner."

"See you, Aang," she replied.

Aang let Katara get back to work with dinner, and walked away sullenly. Katara felt bad for letting Aang feel like he failed, but she couldn't help it. She didn't trust Zuko, and no story was going to nudge her to it either. If Zuko really had changed, he was going to have to prove it to her, and that was not something she intended to be easy for him to do.

She saw the stew beginning to boil, and the flavors were seeping into her nostrils. The more she looked at the bubbling meal, the more it looked like how she was feeling right now. She hated having to look like a bad person for mistrusting Zuko, especially since everyone had forgiven him, and the more this became apparent, the angrier she got.

Just then, she heard footsteps approach her from behind, and she immediately stopped working. She spun around, bending the stew, but paused when she saw that it was Sokka with his hands up in the air.

"I surrender," was all he could say.

Katara sighed as she returned the stew to the pot.

"Sokka don't scare me like that!" said Katara, "I thought you were…never mind."

"Who?" asked Sokka.

"… You know who."

Sokka rubbed his chin, and took a seat next to Katara. He began to stroke his chin as if he had Haru's facial hair, and pointed his nose into the air.

"Would this person happen to be…Zuko?" he said in a fake, haughty intellectual voice.

Katara appreciated Sokka's attempt to lighten up the situation, but she found it difficult to laugh.

"Who do you think?" she said softly, hiding her tone.

Sokka looked at his sister with sad eyes. He had not seen her this angry since their mother died all those years ago. He cleared his throat.

"You know, I saw Aang walk away from here; he's worried about you," he said.

"I know."

"And not just him; Toph, Suki, Dad, and me," added Sokka.

Silence.

"This isn't like you Katara. I mean there was that time with Jet in the forest, but you got over that. How is Zuko's situation different from Jet's? I mean other than the fact that Zuko chased us all over the world trying to get us."

"Is that even a serious question? How is he different from Jet?" she shouted in a burst of anger, "He's completely different; Jet was just a troubled kid bent on revenge, but Zuko? Zuko…is a snake."

"Really," said Sokka in disbelief, "Well, he's more like a komodo rhino than a snake, at least when he's talking to you. You know clumsy, awkward, that sort of thing. If anything, Jet was the snake. He's the one who used your feelings for him to fulfill his own ends."

"Zuko did the same thing in Ba Sing Se."

"Are you sure? I mean, maybe he was honest about your common ground. He could have betrayed you because he was scared. Change can be pretty scary considering it involved joining our team after all those fights and frustrations."

Katara looked to her brother.

"I'll save you some trouble Sokka," began Katara, "I know he helped you rescue dad, Suki, and whoever that other guy is, but that won't change my opinion of him. That's what I told Aang, and that's what I'm telling you right now."

Sokka put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked at him. There was concern in his eyes, and her expression softened.

"I'm not going to force you to like him Katara; these are your feelings after all," he said with a reassuring voice, "But please, respect our decision to trust him, and try not to be rough with him when we're around. To be honest, everyone is getting tired of your public displays of anger."

Katara looked away, and returned her attention to the stew.

"…alright, I'll keep it to myself," sighed Katara.

Sokka got up, and stretched.

"So, now that I've said my inspirational, heartfelt speech, what's for dinner?" he asked in his usual tone of voice.

Katara smiled at her brother, and was glad that something finally felt normal.

xXxXx

Zuko was lying down in his room, and thought about what Toph told him. She did bring up a valid point; maybe he should stand up for himself more. He had to admit, he was getting fed up with Katara's treatment toward him, but he closed his eyes and began to meditate on what course of action he should take next.

The quiet darkness of his mind flickered with light, and sound.

'What is this?' he heard himself whisper.

"Zuko! NO!" shouted a familiar voice.

'What? What happened?'

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Can you forgive me?"

'Why? What did you do? Who are you?'

Knock Knock!

His eyes slowly opened. He noticed that his room was darker than when he began to meditate. He realized his meditation session turned into a nap, and he snapped himself into a sitting position.

Knock Knock!

Quickly getting to his feet, he ran to the door, and opened it. His good eye widened, as he saw Katara standing there. He swallowed hard, at the sight of her frigid stare.

'What do I do?' he thought.

"Dinner's ready," was all she had to say.

"…oh, ok, I'll be there in a moment," said Zuko.

Katara simply walked off, but turned around and faced him.

"Look, you and I are both getting the feeling that enough is enough, and don't try to deny it. It's all anyone is talking about lately," said Katara.

Zuko immediately understood that Katara was talking about the two of them. His face went from soft to stern, and he stared straight into Katara's eyes.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked.

"Let it out," was her reply, "You've been itching to say something to me for the last couple of days, so go out and say it."

"There would be no point, I know what you're response is going to be."

"And what is my response, oh omnipotent prince," said Katara sarcastically.

"That I haven't changed, that I betrayed you at Ba Sing Se, and that nothing I say or do will ever change that. And quite frankly, you have every right to treat me like the scum of the world. But let me tell you something right now," he said shifting his voice from frustrated to calm, "Whether you like it or not, whether you agree or disagree, I have changed, and I'm going to stay here for as long as Aang needs me. You can both accept that fact and tolerate my presence, or you can avoid me all together."

Katara was surprised at Zuko's tone of voice, at how even and tranquil it was. It resembled her voice from when she threatened him, and since then, he had always been sheepish around her and was trying to be lighthearted to show his change in demeanor. But she now saw a bit of Zuko that she had not expected: a determined side not fueled by rage of hatred. It sent a shock down her spine, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Well," she said keeping your composure, "You were right on all three of those points, I still don't believe you. But, you've done enough to show you won't try to hurt Aang, at least not right now."

"So, you still think I'm simply biding my time?"

"Better safe than sorry," said Katara.

Zuko walked passed her, and stopped right behind her, neither of them looking at the other.

"That's a wise move," said Zuko before peering over his shoulder, "If I were in your position, I would also think that; so, now what?"

"Nothing, don't do anything stupid and I won't say or do anything."

"…a ceasefire then? That sounds fine."

Katara turned around and went back to the eating area.

"Good to know we're on the same page," was all she could say to him as she stormed right by.

Zuko stood there looking at the ground, and let out a sigh as a drop of sweat rolled down his cheek.

"Yeah, same here," was all he could say.

xXxXx

Dinner was very unusual that evening; it was unusually quiet. Normally Zuko would try to be funny, though it never worked, or Katara would provoke him, or the gang would talk about their day. However, any thoughts about the day were pushed aside at the change in the air at dinner. They all stared back and forth between Zuko and Katara, as neither said a word, or even glanced at one another.

"Sooo…what did you learn today Aang?" began Teo.

"Um, Zuko taught me a jumping kick, and I landed hard on my butt. It was pretty…funny?" he said hoping to get a humorous response from the group.

Everyone tried to smile, but they were still put off by the cold war taking place in the group. All they could do was look back and forth between the two of them until Toph had enough of the silence.

"So, Katara, is this a new technique of yours?" asked Toph.

Katara snapped out of her silence, and looked at Toph.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Oh, I don't know, how about the fact that you and a certain someone aren't involved in the conversations tonight. Have you mastered some new technique that finally keeps the two of you quiet?"

"I thought you would like the fact that we aren't fighting," said Katara.

"There's a difference between not fighting, and…well, not fighting."

Zuko just stared at the two before finishing his meal. He had heard about the fights that Katara and Toph had on occasion, but he had never actually seen them. After deciding he didn't want to be involved in something that could possibly get out of hand, he finished his stew, set the bowl down, and got up.

"Excuse me, I'm going to bed, I'm tired," he said.

That broke the deadlock between Katara and Toph, who just looked in his direction. Zuko had a sullen expression on his face, and Toph didn't sense anything wrong with his statement, so no one said anything. He turned around, and walked away toward the temple dormitories.

"See you tomorrow Zuko," said Aang.

Zuko stopped, and looked back for a moment before going back to his room. When it appeared he was gone, Katara cleared her throat.

"To answer your question Toph, Zuko and I had a little chat before dinner," she began.

Hakoda, and everyone else turned their attention to her.

"And what did you talk about?" he asked his daughter.

"We discussed some of the group's concerns, and we've both agreed to stop provoking one another," was her reply.

They all let out a sigh of relief, but Aang still had some concerns about this new development. Katara immediately sensing his disapproval turned in his direction.

"Is something wrong Aang?" she asked.

"Katara," began Aang, "it's great that you and Zuko aren't you know, going at it anymore, but ignoring each other isn't exactly going to fix things. What is going to fix things, is you two talking to one another and finding a way to resolve your differences, together."

Katara sighed.

"You know I can't talk to Zuko without yelling at him or insulting him, Aang," she said to him, "We both know that it's just going to lead up to some fight, so why do that when we can just ignore each other and not fight at all?"

"Because all you're doing is running away from the problem," said Hakoda.

"Dad, this doesn't concern you," said Katara.

"Considering you're still my daughter, I believe this attitude of yours does concern me," he said firmly.

Katara just crossed her arms, and focused on the meal.

"When your mother died, I realized something," he began.

Katara turned to her father with interest.

"I realized that it couldn't continue: the raids, the constant fear of attack. Simply hiding from the Fire Nation wasn't going to save us, but confronting them, actually doing something to help stop them would," he explained to her.

"So, I should confront Zuko? Voice my problems? Like he would understand," she muttered.

Hakoda put a hand on her shoulder.

"You'd be surprised how much he understands your pain."

That did it. Feeling betrayed, Katara tore herself from her father's comforting grasp, and stormed off. Hakoda's head sank, and Sokka tried to go after her. The group became truly worried, and they were hoping that things would get better soon.

On the side opposite of the direction that Katara walked off from, a scarred prince was leaning against the column. His face was filled with shame from his eavesdropping and was sad that he had done this to her, but there was nothing he could do about it now. It was water under the bridge, and the water was not at all calm. He snuck back into his room, using his infiltration skills to avoid Toph's detection.

When he arrived at his room, he simply fell into the soft bed face first. As he adjusted himself on the mattress, he played what he had heard in his head over and over again.

'Is Hakoda right? Are we just running from the problem? If so, what is the problem? Is it the betrayal? ...No, it's something deeper, something else…'

He was sure about one thing, and it was something that Aang said.

Only he and Katara could fix this problem, and they could only do so together.

Mist Lilies sound pretty cheesy, but I think that's a cool name.

Thank you for reading, and please review.